Wind and Leaves
by dollofamonster
Summary: The Chuunin Exams have begun! But not without a little confusion in the mix. Temari sets out to find and stop this these exam mysteries before something serious happens. Three visiting participants have already been found dead...is this only the start?
1. Chapter 1

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter One**

The morning sun rose to its position in the morning sky. Many people awoke from a good nights sleep. Almost all of them notice something from their windows and sighed. Today was one of those days.

"Lord Hokage!!"

An old man turned his head away from his morning position, a pipe in his mouth. "What is it?" he asked. "Is it something about Naruto again?"

"The demon is graffiting the mountainside images of all the heros! In paint!" yelled the messenger.

Townspeople gathered around to see the mess of the morning. They shook their heads.

"Enough stupid pranks!!" yelled one. "Grow the hell up!!" yelled another.

"You Losers!! Don't have what it takes to do something like this!!" a blond boy yelled back swinging around on the rope tied around him. He wore a pair of green goggles on his forehead with a paint can and brush in his hands. He had on orange sweat pants with an orange top tied around him.

The Hokage made his way through the crowd as he spotted a familiar face. "Iruka?" he asked

Taking a deep breath the teacher yelled, "Idiot!! What are you doing up there? Get down and get back to class, now!!"

The boy hesitated. "Oh man! Its Iruka-sensei!! I'm in trouble now!!"

--

Now at the academy, Iruka resumed his class.

"Tomorrow you all will pass the final and graduate from our ninja academy, but you've already flunked twice in every course you took in the secret arts. So you end up choosing now for you stupid tricks?!"

"Yeah, whatever." Naruto answered tied up in the front of the class.

Iruka's temper started to boil. "Then today we'll review the arts of illusion." Students in the class started to gasp. "All you have to do is conjure a form that looks like me."

As the first student stepped up, he did just what Iruka wanted. "Next up, Naruto."

Naruto stepped up receiving glares from other students. 'Alright here goes nothing,' he thought to himself.

Gathering up chakra there was a big puff of smoke. In Naruto's place was a nude female with blond pigtails. She blew a kiss to Iruka.

The poor teacher fell backswords with his nose bleeding all over the place.

Transforming back to himself, the village idiot let out a laugh. "I call that my Sexy Jutsu!"

"STOP WITH THE STUPID TRICKS!!" Iruka yelled, his nose plugged.

--

Naruo scrubbed away the paint. Iruka stood quietly on top watching him. He was still a bit angry at what happened that day.

"You can't leave until every last drop of paint is gone!"

"Okay, whatever Iruka-sensei."

Iruka had a guilty look on his face as he watched his idiot student scrub.

"Naruto.."

"What?"

"When you finish...I'll...um...I'll buy you a bowl of ramen."

"Ah, no thanks."

"What...?" Jumping down he placed a hand around Naruto's face to check for a temperature.

"Stop it sensei. I'm not sick."

"Then what's the matter then? Its not like you to turn down ramen."

"Nothings wrong. Its just that Nee-chan is coming home today. I can't miss that."

'That's right!' his teacher remembered. 'His sister's coming home today.'

Throwing the sponge into the bucket of dirty water Naruto turned to Iruka. "I'm finished sensei."

--

Naruto sat on the railing in front of his door. He stared into the night time sky. Everything was quiet. He felt a little breeze blow by and he knew she was home.

"Temari!" he yelled sliding around to hug his sister. "I missed you!"

"Naruto!" she hugged him back. "I missed you, too!"

Of course his sister was a blond too. Her hair was held up in four pigtails. She wore what looked like a black tunic, long sleeves covering her arms and hands tied back with a purple ribbon. Tied around her neck was the leaf headband.

The two walked inside the apartment closing the door behind them.

"How was your mission?" Naruto asked eager to know.

"Boring. Nothing interesting happened." Temari replied..

"You mean all that time you were gone you did nothing?! Thats a rip off!!"

"Well then, what did _you _do today?"

"Um..well..."

"Naruto."

"Um..I..."

"Naruto?"

"..."

"Naruto!"

"What?! I was only having a little fun." He fell back on the couch, removing his goggles, and arms crossed over his chest.

His sister sat down beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Come on Naruto. You have to stop doing things like that."

"I can't help it Nee-chan. I really can't. I just...I just..."

"I know Naruto. I know." She pulled him close to her. He buried his face into her chest. She started to speak in a soft, gentle tone, one that could calm any savage beast. "Its okay. Its okay. Nee-chan's right here." She slowly stroked his blond hair. Calming down her little brother.

"Come on Naruto. Tomorrow's a big day remember?" Naruto didn't replie. "Come on. I'll take you to your room."

After calmly and lovingly putting her brother to bed, Temari planted a kiss on his forehead and exited his room.

She entered her room and turned on her bed-side lamp. Removing her ponytails, she brushed her hair flat. As long as she could remember, her little brother was always causing trouble in the village. Everyone was always against him never talking with him or playing with him. He was always so lonely. She tried her best but that wasn't always enough at times.

She felt useless.

And being Naruto's older sister made it hard for herself too. No one wanted to be around her either. All she could remember that same feeling of uselessness.

She plopped herself into bed. Her problems weren't important right now. Naruto needs her. He is always her top priority. As long as he was happy nothing else mattered to her.

As her thoughts slowly faded, she turned out the lights.

--

Naruto woke to the sound of running water. 'Temari must be in the shower.' he thought getting out of bed. Walking to the kitchen, he saw a bowl of ramen on the counter with a pair of chopsticks beside it.

He couldn't help but grin. It wasn't a dream, Temari was home. She always left him ramen in the morning before he got up. One of the best reasons he loved his sister.

Sitting down he started his breakfast. The water stopped and after a few minutes his sister walked in. She wore a plain red kimono with her hair tied back in four stylish ponytails, not like the ones she has everyday. The sleeves were way too big to see her hands, but she likes wearing clothes like that.

"Good morning Otouto!"she greeted. "Ready for today?"

"...no. Not really."her brother replied. "I'm...a little nervous."

"Its okay to be nervous Naruto. You'll do fine."

"I hope so..."

--

Naruto sat on a tree swing by himself. He watched as former students were having one of the best times of their lives. He felt so sorrowful as he saw the metal plated headband they wore.

From a distance two females were looking right at him. They started to talk. "Hey isn't that...?" one asked.

"Yeah, that's him. The only one who failed." said the other. "Serves him right."

"Yeah. Imagine what would happen if he became a shinobi. It's bad enough his sister's one."

"What a loser."

Naruto wanted to let it out right there. His sadness was overcoming him. A breeze slowly began to blow around him. She could feel his pain. She knew what happened. And she didn't even have to be present. He took comfort from the breeze as he got off the swing. It felt like she was there with him.

Iruka watched from a distance. Lord Hokage slowly came up to him. "May I have a word with you later?" he asked.

"Sure."

--

Temari wondered the dark streets. It was late and Naruto hadn't come home yet. She received a few looks and glares from some people who spotted her, but she didn't care. The only thing that was on her mind was Naruto.

--

Iruka lied in his bed, staring up at the night time sky. He could hear it all over again.

_Flashback:_

"Iruka?"

"Yes Lord Hokage?"

"I understand how you feel about the boy. Growing up similar like you. He only has one person in his life that is trying to give him all the love he needs."

_End Flashback_

He could see it. The demon fox. And he was being carried away. Not able to help.

_Knock Knock _

Getting up he answered his front door. "Mizuki? Whats wrong?"

"Its Naruto." Mizuki replied trying to gather his breath. "Somehow he's found out and stolen the secret scroll!"

"What?!"

Now with other shinobi, Iruka and Mizuki set out to find Naruto.

Iruka stood on a peak looking out toward the village. 'Where could he be?' he thought. He then felt weight on his shoulder. Turning around he saw a young girl in a red kimono.

"Excuse me Iruka-sensei, but-"

Iruka looked startled. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"You probably don't, but I know you. I'm Temari Uzumaki. Naruto's older sister."

So this was the famous Temari he heard so much about from Naruto. She looks like such a sweet girl. "Oh. Have you seen Naruto by any chance?"

"That's what I was gonna ask you. He never came home today..."

"I kind of figured. Well, do you know of any places he could be?"

The two thought for a moment until the same place hit them at the same time.

"The forest!" they said in unison.

--

Naruto sat on the ground exhausted . He huffed and puffed until he noticed a shadow that appeared over him.

"Gotcha!" Iruka said looking down at his student.

"Hey! I found you!" Naruto told him

"No, we found you!" Behind Iruka, Temari appeared standing next to her brother.

"Hey Temari!"

"Naruto, what have you been doing all this time? I was starting to get worried."

"Aww, sorry Nee-chan. But you guys did come pretty fast. I was only able to memorize one technique." He turned to Iruka. "Wait till I show you!! Once you see what I've mastered, you'll have to let me graduate!"

"Naruto, what's with that scroll your carrying?" Iruka asked. Looking behind her brother, Temari saw a giant scroll strapped to his back.

"This? Mizuki told me about it. And about this cool place too! He said that if I could learn the techniques in the scroll then you'd have to let me graduate!"

"Mizuki...?"

In the corner of his eye, Iruka saw kunai coming their way, fast! He pushed Naruto out of the way along with Temari as he took the hit. He was sent backwards against an old wooden shack.

In a tree nearby was Mizuki. "I didn't think you would know where to go Iruka. Plus you brought along another brat."

'Now I understand!' Iruka thought.

"Naruto, give the scroll to me." Mizuki ordered

"No Naruto!! Don't give it to him! Protect it with your life!" Iruka yelled. Hearing that last part made Temari jump. She sprang in front of her brother with a kunai in hand.

"Naruto, that scroll is more dangerous that you can imagine-it holds the records of a completely forbidden ninja art! Mizuki used you because he wants it for himself!" Iruka yelled

"Naruto," Mizuki started, "It doesn't matter if you've already read it, its still meaningless. I can show you what it means."

Temari was a bit confused at the moment, but she could feel Naruto move closer to her. Whatever they were talking about was upsetting her brother.

"Shut up!! Don't say anything Mizuki!!" Iruka yelled.

"You want to know what really happened in the incident where the fox demon was sealed up twelve years ago don't you?"

"Wasn't that when the Forth Hokage sealed it away?" Temari asked. Though she was clueless, she might as well find out what Mizuki was talking about.

"That's true but since that incident the people of our village have been bond by the strictest decree."

"A decree? I don't remember about hearing that?" Temari told him.

"Me either." Naruto said also.

"Of course you wouldn't know Naruto. That was part of it. Everyone would know but you! And if that brat in front of you is that so called 'sister' you talk about of course she wouldn't know either."

"Everyone except us? Why not? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked walking past Temari closer to the tree Mizuki was in. He stood near it being a few feet away from Iruka and Temari.

His sister was just as lost as he was as she lowered her kunai.

"What was the decree?" Naruto finally asked

"That no one must ever tell you that you really are...is the Fox Demon!"

"What?" the two siblings asked together.

"STOP!!" Iruka yelled.

"What are you talking about?"

"In other words, it was you who murdered Iruka's family! You who destroyed the village! Naruto, YOU are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"STOP IT!!"

"Then the Forth Hokage trapped you in this form. Since then, you've been made a fool of by everyone!!"

Naruto's eyes began to water.

"Didn't you think it was strange to be despised everywhere you went?"

Temari covered her mouth with her hands, letting the kunai drop to the ground.

"Even Iruka would admit that he hates you too!!"

"No! No! No!" Naruto yelled as chakra started to surround him.

"No one could stand to be around you! You never knew a parents love! Since the day of your birth you've been shunned by the entire village! The best you could hope for was attention, not love, and you could only get that by doing things that would get you into trouble! You didn't care about anything as long as it meant that someone was paying attention to you. That scroll you've stolen, it was the instrument of your bondage! It was a nice performance but it was just to hide your loneliness and PAIN!"

_Thunck!_

Naruto was shocked. "...What?"

Iruka was above him. He had taken a blow from Mizuki. A giant shuriken stuck out from his back.. "With my parents gone, there was no one to praise or respect me. I was so lonely. I did crazy things. Anything to get attention. I just wanted to be noticed. Someone to be proud of me. But every time I would have to pay for it. It hurt so much."

Looking up, Naruto saw tears. Tears and blood...from Iruka.

"I know your pain Naruto and me being hard on you didn't make it any better. It must have hurt. If only I had been better..maybe none of this would have happened." Naruto slowly slid from under Iruka. He ran off with Temari's hand in his.

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled. "Naruto!"

--

Lord Hokage watched from a crystal ball.

'This is not good. Mizuki spoke, driving Naruto off the edge...so that all of that power has begun to burst froth from within its bones.' he thought. 'There is always the possibility that he might find a way to fully restore his demon form, and unleash his nine-tailed power.'

--

Iruka jumped from tree to tree searching for Naruto. He quickly spotted him not too far away.

"Naruto! Give me the scroll! Its what Mizuki's after!"

Naruto stopped on a branch and head butted Iruka who slammed to the ground.

"What's wrong Naruto?" There was a puff of smoke. "How did you know I wasn't Iruka?" Mizuki asked in his place.

"Because **I** am!" Iruka said sitting against a tree.

Naruto sat behind a nearby tree with the scroll in his hand and Temari beside him.

"So noble of you saving your parents murderer...and for what? What happens if we let him live?""

"At least the scroll is safe from someone like you."

"You're a fool. You know that Iruka? Naruto and I are two of a kind."

"Two of a kind?"

"I can use that scroll to achieve the same kind of limitless power! The demon within hungers for that power! You were right to despise him."

'So it's true!' Naruto thought. 'Iruka-sensei really does hate me.'

"Maybe I do hate the fox, but not Naruto. I have nothing but respect for him. He's an excellent student. He works with all his might. Sure, he may be awkward or clumsy. People have shun and mocked him and its given him strength. He knows what it means to be in pain. That boy is no longer your demon fox!"

Naruto never heard that before. No ones ever said that.

"He is a citizen of Konohagakure Village. He is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Tears started to pour down. 'No ones ever said that before. Iruka...' He silently sobbed as Temari pulled him into a hug, her face also full of tears. Someone did understand her brother!

"What a speech Iruka! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!" Mizuki pulled another shuriken out. "I planned on killing you last, but plans do end up changing so..." Spinning it he launched forward.

"Say Good-bye!!"

Naruto went forward hitting Mizuki under the chin. The shuriken dug into a tree.

"Keep away from Iruka-sensei. Or **I'll kill you!**" Naruto told Mizuki.

"Naruto! Get out of here! Save yourself!" Iruka yelled.

"Stupid brat!! I can kill you in one blow!"

"Bring it on you jerk. Anything you throw at me, I'll make you eat."

"Your welcomed to try!"

Both pairs of eyes widened.

"Ninja Art, Shadow Clone Jutsu!!"

Both looked in shock as Narutos were everywhere.

"What's the matter tough guy? Come and get me!"

"Come on!! Your going to kill me in one blow right?"

"If your not coming I will!!"

--

Naruto stood in front of Iruka. Mizuki was on the ground out cold.

"Sorry. I guess I over did it." Naruto said rubbing his head.

"Naruto come here. I've got a present for you." Iruka told him.

--

Lord Hokage walked to the group of bustling shinobi. "We have nothing to fear anymore."

"Lord Hokage?"

"The scroll will be back."

--

"May I open my eyes now sensei?"

"Yes Naruto. You can open them."

Naruto opened his eyes to see his sensei smiling.

"Congratulations Naruto! You Graduate! And to celebrate I'll take you out for ramen!"

Nauto looked down at the ground and then up to Iruka. He could feel the headband move about his forehead. He jumped on top of him.

"Iruka-Sensei!!"

In a nearby tree, Temari watched the two celebrate. She got up and left with the scroll in hand. She was happy Naruto was finally a ninja and that he grew a bond with his teacher but...why did she feel so...so...

Empty?

Arriving at Hokage Tower she went inside. Lord Hokage was at his desk doing paper work until he saw the young miss walk in.

"Hokage-sama, here's the scroll." she said placing it on the desk with a bow.

"It takes a lot, doesn't it?"

She looked up. "Excuse me?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You feel pain inside about something young one. I can see it." He got up and walked over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Its all right you'll be fine."

Temari's face slowly filled with tears as she returned the hug.

"Thank you...Hokage-sama."


	2. Chapter 2

Wind and Leaves!!

**Chapter Two**

Temari walked through the halls of the academy, wearing something similar to what she had on when she came home. In her hands were a stack of papers she had to pass out to every teacher.

Why Lord Hokage asked her to fill in for an academy helper today was beyond her, but if it would help she'd be there.

She received some glances for a few early students. Mainly from the boys. It seemed like they never saw her before. Like they didn't know who she was. For once she felt like she...belonged.

She returned the glances with a friendly smile, making most of them blush.

--

"Naruto? What are you doing here? This class is for people who passed!" a boy told Naruto.

"Can't you see the headband?" Naruto told him.

"Hey, can I get through please?" came a feminine voice.

The two turned to see a pink haired female by the name of Sakure Haruno. "Move, Naruto! I'm trying to get around you!"

He took a glance to his other side. 'Of course.' he thought to himself. 'She wants to sit next to the class heartthrob! Sasuke Uchiha. I hate that guy. Thinks he's so cool.'

"You say something?"Sasuke asked.

"Good morning Sasuke! This seat taken?" Sakura asked trampling over Naruto.

'What's so good about him anyway?' Naruto asked himself squatting in front of him.

"Beat it." the two said in unison.

Someone in front of them moved their arm causing Naruto to lose his balance. Sakura's world blew up to oblivion as her crush's lips met the ones of the village idiot.

"NARUTO!!"

--

After completely decontaminating his mouth Sasuke resumed his seat. He began to over hear conversations going on around him.

"Hey, did you see that hot new academy helper today?" asked a student to his friend.

"Of course I did! I was with you remember? And she smiled at me."

"No stupid! She was smiling at me!"

'A new academy helper?' Sasuke thought. 'And a female? So what? All girls ever do is think about boys. Never something interesting. And they always get in the way.'

Naruto rubbed his bruises. 'Man, Sakura hits hard.'

The classroom door slid open as Iruka walked in. "Good morning everyone. The next step is the assignment of official duties to you all on behave on our village. I will divide you into three-man cells. Each team will be mentored by a Jonin, a more senior ninja, who will guide and coach you as you become familiar with your various assignments."

"Now.." he turned around to his desk. "Where did I put my clipboard?" He began to search as the door slid open.

"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei..."

All eyes went to the person walking into the classroom. Iruka looked up. Sasuke's eyes trailed the guest as she walked over to their teacher.

"I was told to report here. Plus you forgot your clipboard in the lounge."

"Thank you, Temari." He gladly took his clipboard checking to make sure everything was in place. She gave him a smile as she held her own clipboard close.

"Alright, Team One is..." Sasuke's mind started to zone out as he kept watching the helper.

'They were right. She _is_ hot.' he thought. 'Wait, did I just think that? Have to stay focused.'

"...and Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke looked up.

"What? I have to be-" Naruto stopped. Temari was giving him that look. "Never mind."

"Okay everyone. I'll be introducing your Senior Ninjutsu Instructors this afternoon. You're dismissed until then."

As everyone left the classroom, Sasuke couldn't stop looking at her. She looked up from her clipboard, starring at him as well. He put his head down but only low enough that he could still see her. She...she was smiling...at him. He felt his face heat up.

--

Sasuke munched on his riceball. 'What the hell is happening?' he asked himself. 'I can't stop thinking about her. Her golden hair. Her lush lips. Her smooth sides. Her big-wait. No! No! No!'

"Is something wrong?"

He turned behind him to see her. Temari, was it?

"Sasuke, right? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah. Fine Temari-sensei." His heart throbbed.

"Please, call me Temari."

"Temari." He took a deep breath. "What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She blushed. "Sasuke. I'm only a few years older." She walked over to him and sat down next to him. "It's a nice view isn't it."

"Sure is." He worked his hand around her shoulder.

He pulled her close but to his surprise she didn't pull away. "Sasuke..."

She licked her lips as he licked his. He looked deep in her eyes as she looked deep in his.

He pulled her closer, closing his eyes. "Temari..." Their lips met in a full fledged kiss...until the taste of rice and seaweed came back to his mouth.

He opened his eyes to see no one there. Just him and his lunch. 'Damn daydream.' Too caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice the rope that pulled from behind him.

"Hey! What the Hell?!"

--

"I see you've been getting along with so many of the students here Temari."

"I don't think so Iruka. All I do is smile and look nice. It's like almost no one knows me."

The two were in the Teacher's Lounge having their lunch with other teachers and staff.

"Well I think you've gotten yourself off to a good start? You received a lot of eyes today."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, Temari. I said nothing."

Iruka let out a sigh. This was harder than he thought. He understood Naruto a lot more easily, but his sister wasn't as open. How was he suppose to do this?

_Flashback:_

"I see your bond with Naruto has grown stronger Iruka. I'm proud."

"Thank you Lord Hokage."

"But you know you didn't do it alone."

"...? I don't follow."

"Naruto has also been getting care from his older sister, as you must already be aware of."

"Sister? Oh, you mean Temari!"

"Yes. The two are fairly close though not blood related."

"Their not?"

"No. Temari was found wondering the streets in her younger age. She was taken in and met Naruto. After that the two refused to separate."

"I never knew that."

"Most people don't."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"Temari seems a little too focused on her brother that she hardly has any time to enjoy yourself. She needs to find her joy. She needs friends. I was thinking maybe you could help her with that since she is always shutting out people like they've done to her. Maybe a few male friends..."

"I get you Lord Hokage...wait, what? You what me to help her find a boyfriend?"

"No, no. Not as much as a significant other, but just maybe someone that could ease her and her pain a little bit. That's all."

_End Flashback_

"Iruka? Iruka? Hello, are in there?" Temari waved one of her hands in front of his face. This snapped him back. It wasn't everyday someone who kept their whole arm and hand covered all the time would actually use it to bring someone back to reality. She was like a certain ninja he knew...

"Huh? Sorry Temari. I zoned out. What was it you were saying?"

"I said I was going to get the papers for your next class. I want to make sure I finish everything before I leave today." With that said she exited.

'Wow. She's so well organized.'

Temari walked down the halls alone. They were so quiet with the students gone. She held her clipboard close. She just had to get out. Away from everyone in that one room at once.

_Bump Bump Bump_

She looked up.

_Bump Bump Bump_

What was that sound?

_Bump Bump Bump_

She listened for a while until she realized it was coming above her. As if something was going on. What if someone was in trouble?

_Bump Bump Bump_

"I'm coming!!" she yelled turning around and running toward the stairs. "I'm coming!"

--

'Damn idiot! Running around as me! Wait til I get my hands on him!'

Sasuke flailed around the floor of the gym closet. His arms and legs were tied and his mouth was taped shut. He stopped as he thought he heard a voice calling.

'Must be the wind.' he thought as he started making noise again.

--

'The sounds are getting closer!'

Temari ran up the stairs and down the halls, listening to every door that she came across. Then she came to the one containing the noise.

'The Gym Closet?'

Without thinking she opened the door...

--

Sasuke stared up. His face as red as it could ever be. There she was. Temari. The one he had been dreaming about. Here, looking at him tied up on the floor of the gym closet. Pathetic.

"Oh my!" she gasped as she fell to the ground beside him. "Are you okay?" She removed the tape. She saw his face red. Was he sick? Did he have a fever?

"Yeah. I'm fine."he told he in the calmest voice he could get. She quickly untied him.

"Are you sure your okay? You feel as though you have a temperature." She pulled her sleeves down hand placed her hands on opposite sides of his face, not noticing she was making him hotter. His eyes caught hers as she looked deep into them. 'They look so familiar. Like his.'

She could see the past all over again. He was there in front of her. With those same eyes.

She snapped herself out. Now was not the time. This student could be hurt.

"No, really. I'm fine." he told her. He reached for her hands. They felt so...soft. He looked up at her to see her blushing.

"You can let go of my hands."

He pulled them away. "Sorry." A breeze began to blow in from the window. As if it were pushing him too her.

For Temari, it meant otherwise. The students would be back soon and she still didn't have those papers. She got up.

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke asked as he got up too.

"No. I just remembered I had to do something."

"Oh, okay."

"Your sure your alright?"

"Yes."

She turned and left Sasuke alone in the closet, her face still a little red. She ran into Iruka in the hallway.

"Temari, someone said they saw you running down the halls. Is everything okay?" he asked

"Yes, everything's fine." Temari told him, her clipboard up against her face. She walked around him. "I'm gonna get those papers now." She slowly disappeared down the stairs.

--

Sasuke looked out the window. 'If only it lasted a little longer.' He put his hands to his face. He was never washing them again.

He turned back to the door where the girl of his dreams disappeared out of. He also saw the rope on the floor. He jumped out the window.

'I have to find that ass Naruto.'

--

"This is Naruto's house, huh?" asked a male ninja as he looked around the apartment.

"Yes." the Lord Hokage told him as he watched him wonder around the apartment.

"Seems a little too clean for him." the ninja added opening a door that looked like it lead to Naruto's room. "Except his room."

He closed the door and walked down the hall again and opened the door on the opposite wall. He was pretty surprised at what he saw.

It was a perfectly clean room with black and red sheets on the bed along with a rather large fan. He walked in and looked on top of the dresser that was there and looked at the picture of a little blond boy laughing as he was getting tickled by a little blond girl that looked a little older.

Curiosity took over him as he opened the drawer to find neatly stacked piles of female underwear in the drawer. His hands began to shake with excitement as he lifted one up.

"Kakashi, what are you doing?" Lord Hokage asked peeking his head through the door.

"Lord Hokage! What's Naruto doing with something like this?!" Kakashi asked as if he was drooling through the mask he was wearing.

Lord Hokage placed a hand on his face. "That must be his Temari's."

"Who's?"

"Naruto's sister."

"What?! He has a sister?!"


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, I had a little delay on the computer but I'm back in business!

DaragonTamerx: It's probably only going to be a sister/brother relationship, but I'm not sure. It may change...or not.

Axel: If you want to know the parings you'll just have to bare with me. I'm not giving away any of the best details. I know, I'm mean! -giggle-

Shinigami Jinchuuriki: I'm thinking about the SasuTema pairing, but really I'm just having fun by making Sasuke like someone.

Now for the feature presentation...

Wind and Leaves!

**Chapter Three**

Night watched over the quiet city of Konoha. Temari dried her hands on a towel pleased with herself for finishing the dishes like she did every night.

She walked off to her room, hearing the snoring of her brother. He told her he had a very ruff day. Meeting his new instructor and being tied to a log and forgotten.

She fell on her bed. Sleep slowly took over her as a full moon shined through her window. To think she was so tired that she didn't even remove her hitai-ate from her neck.

--

A little later during the night, at the gate of the village, a ninja had sunk in not careful not to be seen. He ran in zigzags and through the trees trying to lead his enemies off his trail.

Realizing they were gaining on him, he decided to sneak in one of the homes for cover. He used ninjitsu to unlock a window and he jumped in. The ones on his trail ran right past not even stopping to look. He was ready to leave we he was sent flying out the window.

He had been hit.

As he landed on his feet he turned to see a blond girl who followed him out the window.

--

Temari didn't know who this guy was but he asked for trouble. His hitai-ate shined in the moonlight and she knew at once he was a spy.

They fought and she wasn't surprised to find he wasn't strong. As she was about to land the final blow her enemy did some hand signs. A purple ball of liquid formed in the palm of his hand. As she came in close he aimed and shot it, splashing on the blond's face and getting in her eyes. She screamed in pain as it started to sizzle. She took another blow as her hitai-ate was ripped from her neck.

Blood slid down from her mouth as her body hit a tree. He walked over to her, ready to finish her off. He threw a kunai at her only to find it was a clone. She was behind him and brutally stabbed him in the head with a kunai of her own.

Temari dropped to her kness, huffing and puffing as she fumbled around for her headband.

A sharp pain suddenly came to her eyes. Temari screamed as she looked up at the moon watching over her. The moon slowly disappeared from her vision as did everything else. Her eyes lost their color as they turned grey. She couldn't see anything!

She still fumbled for her hitai-ate. Touching a piece of metal, she gripped it in her hand. She tied it back around her neck poorly not knowing it wasn't her own.

--

"Nee-chan! Nee-chan! Where are you?"

Naruto looked around for his sister. She wasn't in the kitchen or the shower. If she had left she would have left a note. Where could she be?

"Temari!!" he yelled.

He peered into her room. She wasn't in there. Nothing but an open window.

--

She stumbled to get up. Her legs gave out under her as she tried to stand up. She couldn't believe it. It all happened so fast.

She was fighting an intruder, goes blind, and to top it all off gets chased out of the village. She couldn't even remember how her managed to get out without her eyes.

Now what? Just lie here in the forest and die? No! She had to do something to get back. What if Naruto was looking for her? What if he needed her?

Thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to get up again but being unsuccessful. She stopped trying when she heard something. She put her ear to the ground. Footsteps.

Someone was coming. What could she do? She was in no condition to fight.

They got closer and closer than stopped. Temari closed her eyes.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She didn't look up. She didn't even move.

"What's a young female doing here so far from home?" The stranger gave a snicker. Temari didn't answer. "What's the matter? Can't speak?"

He lifted her right arm. She kept her eyes closed as her headband followed her neck. The stranger caught a glimpse of it.

'She's not from here.'he thought. 'What **is **someone like her doing out here?'

He traced his finger over the engraved pattern. Village of the Hidden Mist.

He gently put her down. "Sorry if I frightened you but **what is** someone like you doing in a place like this?"

Still one answer.

"Don't worry. We're from the same village. I saw your hitai-ate."

She let out a breathe of relief only to pull it back in.

"Come on. There must be a reason why your out here." he insisted.

"I-I was chased out of the village." Temari blurted out.

'Chased out? The village is three days away from here. By how badly she's injured she should be dead already. She must be strong.'

He thought for a moment before he got an idea. "Listen kid, I'll help you_ only if _you stay with me."

"What do you mean?" Temari asked.

"You are to be there when I need you and work under me. Do what I tell you and never disobey."

Temari thought for a moment. What if she never got to see her brother again? What if she was to never make it back home?

_Home._

If it was a home she would have never been chased out. If it was a home she would still be there. If it was a home then she wouldn't have to worry about this.

"Do you understand?" he asked her.

"...I understand. I am to do what you want me to do. I am to be there when I am needed."

"Good girl."

He picked her up in the bride position and started away from that place. Up into the trees he jumped and away.

"So kid, what's your name?

"I'm Temari. Temari Uzumaki. And you sir?"

"Zabuza Momochi."

--

"Can you at least attempt to pay attention to training Naruto?!" a rather mad Sakura asked.

Naruto didn't pay attention.

"Hello!!"

"Huh?" Naruto looked up. "What did you say Sakura?"

"AAARG!"

Sasuke watched from a distance as the two began to argue. He really didn't care what they were doing. His mind was set on something different. Or rather_ someone. _

Kakashi couldn't help but rub his temples.

--

Zabuza wrapped a bandaged around Temari's leg. She still kept her eyes closed not wanting him to know she was blind just yet.

He tied a knot and moved to her arm but she pulled away. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's just that...I don't like showing my arms to anyone." she answered

"Well your going to have to get over that." he told her rolling up her right sleeve to be greeted with a scar. It started a little above her wrist and stopped above her elbow.

"Wow. Looks like this has been here for a while."

"It has. A friend...gave it to me before he left the village."

He wrapped it up. "Well, you won't have to worry about him or anyone else now."

There was an awkward silence before he said something else.

"Tema, why haven't you opened your eyes? Your eyesight will be important for your training."

She took a deep breathe. "Because I can't."

"Well if your eyes are closed then-"

"No."she interrupted. "I mean when I was fighting an enemy used a jutsu that sort of...blinded me and now I can't see."

"Let me have a look."

She opened her eyes though she still couldn't see anything. Zabuza looked into them. Her deep gray eyes.

'Yep. This is the doing of a water jutsu. She is from the mist.'

"It's only temporary. It's normally used as a training method to straighten the other senses."

"But what am I suppose to do then?"

He tied another knot. "When your feeling better, you will train."

Temari gave him a nod before her mind drifted. 'Tema?'

--

"Tema!"

Temari turned her head from the window she was looking through. Blind as anything could be she couldn't see anything but that didn't stop her from trying to guess what was where out the window.

"Yes Master Zabuza?" she answered.

"'Master Zabuza' I like that. Anyway, Tema this is Haku." A girlish figure stepped from behind Zabuza.

Haku came up her. Temari felt his warm breathe brush up against her face and she knew he was in front of her.

"Nice to meet you Tema."

"Nice to meet you, too, Haku."

--

Night had quickly rolled around after the meeting with Haku. The two exchanged life stories like a couple of old friends.

"Yeah, its always been my little brother and me. We were orphans at a young age." Temari told Haku. They were watching the starry night overhead as Zabuza had gone 'out' somewhere.

Though she couldn't see anything, Temari was sure the stars were out even without anyone telling her.

"I was an orphan too when Zabuza found me. He was the only one who didn't walk away and ignore me like everyone else."

"You were ignored Haku-san?"

"Yes. I lived on the streets."

"My brother and I lived at an orphanage. Everyone avoided us and ignored us too. Especially my brother. They wouldn't even look at us."

"It seems we have a lot more in common than what met the eye." Haku said with a laugh.

Temari made a puzzled face.

"Oh, I'm sorry Tema. I forgot."

"No worries Haku-san. For past times today I thought I was asleep."

Haku glanced over at her before the two broke in laugher.

--

The next morning Temari had felt a whole lot better. And as Zabuza said the day before when she was feeling better her training would begin.

They stood outside on a grassy area. Not too many trees and not too less. A river slowly flew through the area. Zabuza stood only a few inches away from the river with Temari beside him.

"All right. Your first task is to retrieve a bell I've hidden..."

"Alright Master." Temari nodded.

"...In the water."

She made a sour face.

"Good luck." He pushed her in.

She sank to the bottom. 'How to find a bell underwater?' she asked herself.

She decided to swim back to the surface to get a deeper breathe when she couldn't. Her leg was...caught on something!

She tugged and pulled but her leg wouldn't get free! She clapped her hands over her mouth as her air started to decrease.

She sank to the bottom as her hands slid off her mouth. They slid against the sandy bottom as rocks and gravel rubbed against her palm.

'Is this it? Am I going to die in a training procedure?'

She closed her grey eyes and water slowly started to fill in her mouth.

_Chime_

'Huh?'

_Chime_

'That sound!'

_Chime_

'It's a bell!'

--

'She hasn't seem to come up yet.' Zabuza told himself. 'Maybe she was a weakling after all.'

He turned his back and started to leave not noticing a dark shadow in the water.

Water flew everywhere as Temari emerged with a tiny silver bell in her hand. She coughed up water as she pulled herself to shore.

"M-Master Zabuza..." she choked out. "I got it."

He turned back around to see her. Her grey eyes looking around everywhere. He came over to her and keeled down taking the bell.

"Very good Tema. Your ready for the next lesson."

Temari tried to sit up but slipped landing on top of Zabuza. Her head was on his bare chest as her wet hand trailed down feeling his hard, toned abs. Her face started to heat up as it turned bright red.


	4. Chapter 4

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter Four**

One month later

"Failed?! What the hell do you mean, you failed!!" an old man yelled across a room to another. "If you weren't supposed to be the best, I wouldn't have paid top dollar for your skills!"

The other grabbed something from behind him, removing it. He pointed a rather large sword to the other man's neck.

"Stop whining. There's nothing to worry about. I, with this neck cleaving knife will take the hit myself."

"Are you sure you really want to?" the old man mustered out. "The enemy hired ninjas of tremendous skill! And besides..." he made a gulp. "Now that the demon brothers have tried and failed, they'll be on guard against further attempts."

"Remember who your talking to!" the other said. "I am Zabuza Momochi, the demon, of the Village Hidden in the Mist!"

--

"Everyone get down!"

A weapon spun toward the team as they all ducked in time. It logged into a tree as someone stepped on top of it.

"Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, the kid who ran off and left the land of the shrouding mists!" Kakashi said looking up at him.

Naruto was about to move when a hand held him back. "Don't interfere. This one is on a different plane from our previous opponents. And if I have to face him, it better be.." Kakashi moved his hand to his hitai-ate, lifting it up. "...Like this. This may be a little rough."

"Kakashi of the sharingan eye, I presume?" Zabuza started. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you surrender the old man?"

'Sharingan? What the hell does that mean?' Naruto thought. Sakura looked confused.

'The sharingan? The mirror-wheel eye?!' Sasuke thought as well.

"Assume the manji battle formation! Protect Mr. Tazuna." Kakashi instructed. "All of you stay out of the fight. That's the kind of teamwork this situation demands. And now Zabuza, shall we?"

"To face the legendary mirror-wheel eye so early in our acquaintance, this _is_ an honor."

"You keep calling it the mirror-eye, a sharingan eye, what is it?!" Naruto yelled.

"Shinobi who have the sharingan eye have mastered a form of ocular ninjutsu." Sasuke started. He began to explain as Naruto caught on.

"Enough. This conversation has gone on long enough. I'm on a very tight schedule to polish off the old man." Zabuza stated. "But it looks like I'm going to have to kill you first." He disappeared from sight as everyone got on guard.

He reappeared on the water, one hand in the air while the other was in front of him. "Ninja Art, Kirigakure Jutsu." Then he was gone again.

"Letting your guard down around Zabuza is a direct trip to heaven. I haven't mastered every aspect of the Sharingan eye, so all of you stay on your toes!" Kakashi told his team.

Everyone's heart started to race.

Fog then suddenly appeared. "What's with this fog?" Naruto asked.

"There are eight targets." Zabuza started, still hidden. "The throat, spinal column, lungs, liver. The jugular vein, the subclavian artery. The kidney and heart. So many choices. What vital vulnerable_ place _shall I choose? Heh-heh"

'This terrible bloodlust!' Sasuke thought starting to panic. 'If I draw attention to myself by even blinking, he'll kill me! I can feel it! I can't stay like this for long! I'm gonna lose it! A master ninja, determined to make a kill, knowing my life is in his hands, I hate it! You start wanting to die just to end the suspense!'

"Sasuke." He looked up. "Calm down. Even if he gets me, I'll still protect you." Kakashi turned to him and gave a quick smile. "I'll never let my comrades die!"

"I wouldn't count on that..." Zabuza appeared in the middle of them. "Game over."

He was about to strike when he was struck by Kakashi instead. Everyone was bumped out of the way.

"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto yelled as the Zabuza Kakashi had attacked was only a water clone and burst into water. The real one was behind him and sliced him in two with his sword but that was _also_ a water doppelganger!

'He was able to copy me in this mist?' Zabuza thought.

"Don't move." Kakashi said from behind him holding a kunai to his neck. "Game over."

"Awesome!" Naruto yelled

"Heh. You think it's over?" Zabuza asked. "You just don't get it. It will take a lot more then mimicking me. A lot more. But you are good! In that short time, you duplicate my water clone technique and by making your clone say something you'd have said yourself, you ensured all my attention would ne focused on it while you yourself used the kirigakure technique of hiding on the mist , watching my every move. Too bad for you..."

"I am not that easy to fool!"

The Zabuza in front of Kakashi burst into water as the real one was behind him. He swung his sword at Kakashi who ducked in time but was greeted by a kick in the water. He quickly disappeared again.

"Sensei!" Naruto yelled.

'Did Kakashi-senei get kicked all that way?' Sakura asked herself.

'His physical techniques are incredible!' Sasuke thought.

'Why is the water so heavy?' Kakashi thought as he came to the surface.

"Ha! Gullible Fool!" Zabuza yelled behind him while forming hand signs. "Art of the Water Prison!"

What seemed like an enormous water bubble formed around Kakashi. "I thought I could go underwater and regroup but it was a tactical error! That prison is inescapable. You're trapped. You running around free makes it too hard for me to do my job. So, I'll finish you later, _after_ the others have been dealt with. Heh-heh-heh."

--

A body moved from under some sheets as arms reached out to stretch. It sat up, rubbing its eyes.

"Good afternoon, Tema." came a voice.

"Afternoon?!" Temari asked a little shocked. " I overslept!"

"Don't worry about it." Haku told her as he sat down beside her on the bed. "Zabuza said he'd take on this one by himself. Besides, you did need the sleep. You did only get back this morning."

"I know." The blond beauty replied as she got out of bed, her blue kimono loosely hung from her body since it was tied weakly with a blood red ribbon. She grabbed her hitai-ate from the bedside table, pressing her thumb on the engravement. She let out a small sigh as she remembered when she found out Haku and Zabuza were mist nin.

Sure, it did explain a lot, but she felt a quick stab in the heart since she was with the enemy.

But they weren't enemies. Not to her.

Zabuza saved her and gave her a place to stay. Haku was kind and generous and taught her with Zabuza. They were her new family. She could have left if she wanted to but she didn't. She couldn't help but feel that Konoha ran her out on purpose.

She opened her grey eyes. Because of them her other senses were so strong she didn't need to see to know what was happening.

As she tied it on her forehead when her body sensed something. She knew Haku had sensed it too by the sound he made when he stood up. He threw her a mask.

"We're needed." the two said together as they left.

--

"Can you see the future?" Zabuza asked pinned to a tree.

"I foresee..." Kakashi started as he was ready to finish him off. "...Your death!"

Before he could say anything else, needles flew through the air striking Zabuza's neck. Everyone was shocked as they looked to see where the needles came from.

"Your prediction has come true." a masked boy said from a treetop.

Naruto dragged himself out of the water, looking who it was who got the kill. He saw a kid in a mask in a tree nearby with standing with another standing next to him. She was wearing an identical mask .

Kakashi left the tree and kneeled down next to Zabuza. He check his pulse. "Way dead."

"Thank you for your help." the girl said as they both bowed. "I hope you don't mind our interfering..."

"...But we wanted the satisfaction of putting Zabuza out of his misery ourselves." the other finished.

"Your masks are familiar," Kakashi stated, "Aren't you shinobi hunters from the Village Hidden in the Mist?"

"Yes we are." the male answered.

"Shinobi hunters?!" Naruto asked.

"We are members of the Elite Tracking Unit from the Village Hidden in the Mist." the female stated. "It is our responsibility-"

"And our art." the male added.

"-To hunt down and deal with the rogues and outlaws."

'By his size and the tone of his voice, that boy can't be much older than Naruto or the others.' Kakashi thought. 'And that girl seems to be the same in age as well, and yet their both full fledged Shinobi Hunters? They're not your average kids!'

Naruto stole a glance at Zabuza's body than at the two, then at Zabuza and again at the hunters. The male looked at him confused.

"What's going on here?!" Naruto yelled. "Who are you guys?!"

"Relax Naruto. They're not the enemy." Kakashi told him while getting up.

'Naruto?' the female thought over Naruto's yelling. 'It couldn't be could it?'

"Naruto, this probably won't be the first time we meet others that are both younger than you and stronger than me."

'Younger?' the girl thought. She and the boy went down to Zabuza.

"Your battle is over for now." she told them as they pulled one arm over their shoulders. "And the remains must be disposed of, before they give up secrets to our foes."

With that said they were gone.

--

After finding a safe spot, the two lied down Zabuza. Temari stuck his sword in the ground as Haku got out his tools.

"First, I'll remove the wrappings around the mouth so the blood can drain out." Haku started as he took out medical scissors. He was about to cut Zabuza's bandages when his arm was grabbed.

"Enough." Zabuza told him. "I can do it myself."

"Your awake already?" Haku asked.

"You work like a butcher." Zabuza told him as he roughly pulled out a needle.

"Please Master Zabuza." Temari pleaded as she sat on the other side of him. "Gently. If you pull those out any which way, you really might kill yourself."

"Tema! I thought you'd still be out." Zabuza told her.

"I'd never do that when there was a job to do, sir." she informed him while pulling out the other needle for him.

"And how long are you two going to keep those masks on? Take them off!" Zabuza demanded.

"Old habits die hard." Haku relied as he and Tema took off their masks. " And it was also useful for our pantomime routine."

"They could have killed you if we didn't intervene." Tema told him.

"You two didn't need to target the vulnerable areas in the neck to put me in a deathlike trance. Any other points would have been fine!" Zabuza told the both of them while he replaced his bandages. "You both are sadistic brats."

"Thank you!" they both said simultaneously.

"He just didn't want to mar your perfect body, sir." Tema informed him with a slight blush.

"And besides." Haku added. "The neck is so much less muscular than the rest of the body. I can more precisely target the points that will leave an ordinary target paralyzed and apparently dead for a full week."

"But of course someone like you would recover much more quickly, right?"asked Temari.

Zabuza looked at the both of them."You two are so innocent and guileless. No doubt it's why I like the both of you."

"Well, we are only children." Tema told him with a smile while Haku was smiling too.

"Without us even noticing, the mist has lifted." Haku told them both as he stood up. "Next time, will you be alright?"

"Next time..." Zabuza started as he patted the blond's head. "I'll break the Sharingan!"

Naturally Temari would be excited to be at one of her Master's fights or even help him by being in it too. The feel of them squirming beneath her grasp. The sound of bones breaking. The smell of blood. But this time she was a little worried. After all her little brother was on that team. Though he was able to hold off in a fight with Zabuza, could he do it again?

She knew this day would come the moment she found out she was hanging with the mist.


	5. Chapter 5

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter Five**

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Naruto ran towards a tree with Sakura and Sasuke beside him running toward their own. He placed one foot on the trunk as if he was trying to run up it, only to fall flat on his back and hitting his head.

Sasuke kept going until his left foot impaled into the trunk. Swiftly he struck the bark with a kunai, drawing a line. He did a midair back flip and landed on the ground.

'Maintaining focus is a lot harder than I expected.' Sasuke thought as he started analyzing where he was on tree. 'Too much force and the surface's own energy repels you. Too little and you'll never adhere in the first place...' He glanced over at Naruto who was flopping from side to side on his back holding his head. '...So you end up like Naruto.'

Kakashi watched from a distance whiling standing upside-down on a tree branch high in a tree. 'Huh...There is the difference between Naruto and Sasuke in a nutshell.' he told himself.

"This is easier than I thought!"

Kakashi turned his head while the other two looked up to see Sakura, who successfully made it to the top, sitting on a tree branch.

"Well, now we know which of you three has the best control over her chakras." Their sensei said proudly. "Our young lady."

"Incredible!! You go Sakura!! That's my girl!!" Naruto stated while Sasuke on the other hand just let out a light but heavy sigh.

--

The door creaked open as Gato walked in the room along with two of his thugs or as he put it, 'bodyguards'. "I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face around here after taking a beating like that." he said, braking the silence. "Ninja from the Land of the Mist would appear to be vastly overrated."

"You can't even clean up for your miserable subordinates. 'Demon', my ass!" He started waking over to Zabuza who was quietly resting in bed with Haku and Tema sitting beside him. He made no replie to Gato's statement.

Both of Gato's guards slid their swords out of their cases a few inches. 'Are they going to attack?' Haku wondered while deciding to wait and see what was to happen next.

Temari, on the other hand, seemed to be deep on thought. She had been strangely moody the past few days. Haku and Zabuza had never seen her act like this before so they stood clear when needed, but having Gato here and _interrupting _their silence was not helping her train of thought.

"Wait a minute, you two." Gato told his protectors while he walked past them and up to Zabuza. "So, nothing to say for yourself? No last words?" He reached his hand out to Zabuza's throat as if to choke him but he was stopped by a strong grip of his wrist.

"Don't defile Master Zabuza with your touch." Haku told him, his voice dark and haunting.

"How dare you?!" Gato yelled as he tried to pull out of the boy's grasp.

Swords were ready to be drawn but the minute they were removed their blades were placed against their necks ready to cut them if they moved. They looked down with their eyes to see the blond girl in-between them. "You've already disturbed this place enough." she said in a terrifying voice that told them one wrong move and their dead'. "I'm already angry and you won't want to do that when I'm **angry**."

There was silence between everyone. Gato roughly pulled his wrist away from Haku and headed towards the door with his others behind him. "There had better not be any more mistakes!" He grunted. "If you fail again don't think you can come back here!"

SLAM!!

"Haku, Tema..." Zabuza started. "There was no need for you to-"

"We know." Haku interrupted with Temari beside him. "But it's too soon to finish Gato off. If we cause a commotion where we are, we might find ourselves on the run from them _again_."

"For now, let's be patient." Tema finished for Haku giving a small smile, enough to show that her bad mood had pass. Haku couldn't help but smile, too.

Zabuza looked at Tema then to Haku and back at Tema again. "Ahh, Yes!"

--

Night had come and gone and soon enough it was morning. Haku and Tema got up bright and early. The sun shined brightly through the window as Haku removed his bun reviling his long black hair. He also changed his outfit into a plain normal kimono along with leaving his hitai-ate on his bedside table. Stepping out of his room, he encountered the blond kunoichi.

"Going somewhere this morning, Haku?" she asked him. She was also wearing a plain kimono and had her hair down as well. Though she didn't mention it, it made her feel like she was back home.

"I'm just going out to pick some herbs, that's all." Haku replied happily. "Would you like to come with me?"

"No thanks." Tema declined. "I think I'll stay here this morning."

"Alright. I'll see you later then." Haku told her as he headed for the door with a basket in hand. Tema just waved until she heard the 'click' from the door. Slowly she let out a heavy sigh.

She hadn't been feeling well since the encounter with her little brother and his team but she didn't show it. It didn't feel right to have Haku or Zabuza worrying about her when there was already so much to be done. But she still couldn't help but let her mind drift.

She turned around and headed for a door. Listening to make sure no one was around, she opened the door and went inside making sure to close the door behind her. Quietly she walked past a wardrobe and two hooks that had a giant sword resting on top.

This was Zabuza's room.

She walked over to his bed where he was still resting. She could tell by the sounds of his even breathing he was still sound asleep. She stood next to the bed on her knees. She slid her hands over the mattress finding that he was sleeping on top of the sheets and blankets. One of her hands trailed off toward his body, finding that he was shirtless. It trailed on as it went over his abs making her stop.

"They're so alike." she muttered to herself with a slight blush on her face as she remembered someone from long ago. Her opposite hand rubbed her arm over the bandages that Zabuza had tied that month ago covering her scar. She would re-wrap it whenever she needed to though it wasn't bleeding, but it just felt right to have it there.

Zabuza had been so nice to her. Zabuza and Haku both. They were her friends and new family. But the time was coming for her to make a choice. She wanted them to be proud to have her by their side, the way she was to have them by hers, but was it all going to be worth it if she was to lose what she use to have?

All this thinking was taking a toll on her this morning. She felt her eyelids slowly becoming heavy. Soon her mind and thoughts were lost as sleep fell over her. Her fingers twitched a little from atop Zabuza's chest before they stopped due to sleep.

Through her thoughts, Tema never found out that Zabuza was awake the whole time. He sat up a bit and saw her hand on his body. He picked it up in his, feeling her soft gentle skin. Compared to his, her hand was pretty small and it seemed fragile. He lied back down, still holding Temari's hand in his, and let sleep overcome him as well.

--

Birds flew all around the trees of the forest, singing their morning tunes. One flew down gracefully, landing on Haku's shoulder while he picked herbs. He gave it a smile and watched as it take flight off his shoulder and over to a group of birds. He saw they were all picking at something, so he decided to take a closer look.

Lying in grass was a boy with a kunai in his hand. Haku was a bit surprised to see anyone out that early. He caught a glimpse of the hitai-ate he wore on his forehead. It was that sign.

Leaf.

He remembered he was that boy from about a week ago. He moved his hands close to his throat, as if all he had to do was choke him, but instead he grabbed his shoulders and shook the boy gently. "You'll catch your death of cold, sleeping on the ground." he said.

"Huh? Who are you?" the blond boy asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Time slowly pasted and the two had started a conversation.

"Are these grasses and weeds really medicinal?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry I imposed on you." Haku replied.

"That's some job you took on girl, harvesting all that this early in the morning." Naruto told her looking at the now full basket.

"Look at who's talking! What were you doing in the middle of nowhere at the crack of dawn?" Haku shot back.

"Training!!" Naruto declared proudly.

Haku made a surprised face. "Really? That headband you're wearing, are you some kind of ninja?" Haku asked.

"Why? Do you think I look like one? Do I? Really? Because I am!" Naruto rushed in one breath.

"Wow. That's incredible. What are you training for?"

"To build up my strength." Naruto told him with a big grin on his face.

"But...But you look so strong and manly already!" Haku mentioned.

"Nope! Wrong!!" Naruto replied. "I need to be a lot stronger than this!"

There was a small silence. "But...why?" Haku finally asked.

"To become the top dog in my home town! All the people who used to treat me like dirt will have to say 'He's the number one ninja!'" Naruto exclaimed. "And right at the moment, I kind of have to prove a point, to a certain person I know."

"Are you doing this for the sake of that person...or for your own satisfaction?" Haku asked.

"...What?" Naruto asked confused. Haku started to giggle. "What's so funny?"

"Do you have anyone special in your life?" Haku asked in curiosity.

'What's this girl driving at?' Naruto as himself. He watched as the person in front of him seemed to be a bit depressed, like remembering something from the past.

"When people are protecting something truly precious to them," Haku started "They truly can become as strong as they must be."

Naruto was silent as the words he just heard started to sink in. He remembered everything that happened and all the people that cared for him. Especially one in particular.

His sister, Temari.

She was always the first person to know when something was up and try to help fix it in anyway she could. She would always encourage him and help him push himself so he could reach his goal. She was always there when he needed someone the most. She was his whole world, and she just up and disappeared.

Though no one seemed to realize it, he had been training a lot harder then normal. He wanted to be strong. Strong enough to find her one day. That was also his dream though he didn't like to talk about it or share it with anyone. That was a dream he wanted to fulfill more than being Hokage.

"Yup!" Naruto said proudly. "I know all about it!"

Haku gave him a friendly smile as he got up to leave. "You **will** get stronger." Haku told him as he walked away. "I know we'll meet again."

"Right!"Naruto said returning the smile.

"Oh, and just so you know..." Haku started before fading from view. "I'm a boy."

--

196...197...198...

"I keep meaning to ask you." Tazuna started. "You know I duped you about how dangerous this mission was to get you to come here, so why do you stay?"

"To know what is right and choose to ignore it is the act of a coward. Like master, like man." Kakashi told him.

...199...

"Those are the teachings of some of our previous Hokages." Kakashi let out a small grunt as he did the last and final push-up with his pointer finger on his right hand with Sakura and Tazuna on top of him. "This is the shinobi way of life. True shinobi do not merely dance to the tune of whoever pays the piper." He flexed his hand a bit. 'Looks like I'm almost completely healed.' he told himself.

At the same time elsewhere, an apple was busted into pieces in the palm of a hand.

"Most of your strength has returned." Haku said as he watched the remains of the apple drip through Zabuza's fingers while Temari was not far away.

"Excellent!! Let's get going, you two!" Zabuza said pleased.

"Right." they both said in unison with a nod.

--

Night had come and gone as Tazuna was ready to head off to finish the bridge with Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi right beside him.

"Please take care of Naruto. He's worn himself out, so I doubt he'll be able to move for the rest of the day." Kakashi told Tsunami, Tazuna's grown daughter, before leaving.

--

"Are you ready to attack?! Hello? Zabuza, Pay Attention!!" Gato yelled through a phone though he was still ignored. On the other end, the little devise was smashed to pieces.

"You two ready?" Zabuza asked.

"Yes." Tema replied.

"Of course." Haku said.

--

"What the?! I overslept!!" Naruto yelled as he scrambled out of bed. He stepped into the room where Tsunami and Inari. "Hey! Where'd everybody go?"

"Oh! Naruto what are you doing up?" Tsunami asked. "Kakashi wanted you to take the day off today."

"Man! I knew it!" Naruto yelled as he changed clothes. "First chance they get, they leave me behind!!" Tsunami and Inari continued their activities as Naruto stomped out. "I'm Outta Here!" he yelled as he ran through the door.

--

"What the hell?!"

On the bridge, the workers had been beaten with many of them unconscious. "What happened?!" Tazuna yelled. "What could have-"

"Monsters.." one of the workers choked out.

'It couldn't be...' Kakashi thought as he looked around, staying on guard. Mist had suddenly appeared around the group and the bridge. "They're coming!" Kakashi yelled. Everyone got prepared for what was about to come their way. 'I was right! He survived...' Kakashi thought. "...And he's come back to finish the job."

"Sensei, is this that an we met? His 'Hidden in the Mist' technique isn't it?" Sakura asked as Sasuke started to shudder.

"Been a while, Kakashi..." came a voice from the mist. "And I see you've got those brats tagging along, just like last time. And the little boy is trembling again, poor thing..." Soon, the whole group was surrounded by clones of Zabuza.

"I'm shaking with the eagerness and excitement for a rematch!" Sasuke exclaimed with a smirk.

"Go ahead Sasuke."Kakashi told him with a smile under his mask.

Taking out two kunai, Sasuke lunged forward to all the clones. All of them splattered into water in less than four seconds.

"Well! My water clones were obviously no match for you!" Zabuza said surprised while stepping forward, with two masked shinobi to his sides. "It seems the brats have matured quite a bit. And it seems you have a rival now Haku."

"So it seems." the one on the left stated.

"Looks like I was right. Our mysterious masked friends are playing on Zabuza's team." Kakashi informed to everyone.

"This one's mine." Sasuke said as Sakura turned her head. "That was quite a show you put on before, but we're on to you now, and I hate ham actors!"

Sakura slapped her hands together. 'Sasuke's so cool!!' she thought. Kakashi let out a small sigh as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Impressive kid, isn't he?" Haku asked. "Even if your water clones have only a tenth strength of the original. It's amazing he was able to do so well."

"But we're still on the offensive." Zabuza reminded him. "Go!"

"Yes, sir."

Haku appeared in front of Sasuke with great speed. Not having time to blink, he stepped back and swung his kunai forward making the tips collide with Haku's with a loud _clink_ sound.

'He can keep up with Haku's speed.' Zabuza thought surprised.

"Sakura!" Kakashi yelled. "We have to cover Mr. Tazuna. Take that side and stay close! Let Sasuke handle Haku."

"Yes, sir!" Sakura replied.

"Tema." Zabuza whispered. "I want you to go after the girl."

"Yes sir." she replied taking a few steps back, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

"I don't want to kill you, but you probably won't leave quietly, will you?" Haku asked.

"Don't be stupid." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Just as I thought. However, you won't be able to match my speed for long, and I've laid the ground work for two attacks."

"Two attacks?" Sasuke asked confused.

"Firstly, there's the water splashed all around us. Secondly, I've trapped one of your hands with parrying this move.." Haku explained as he held up two fingers to his mask. "...Which leaves you only one hand free to defend yourself from my attacks!" Quickly, he started making hand signs with his free hand.

'What?!' Sasuke thought surprised. 'With just one hand he can do that!?'

Kakashi seemed to be thinking the same ting too. 'He's making signs with one hand?! I've never seen anything like it!'

"Ninja Art! Flying Water of a Thousand Kills!" The water on the ground began to form into giant needles, aiming directly at Sasuke.

'So 'I didn't want to have to kill you'...' Zabuza wondered. 'I wonder if he really means that.'

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, letting her guard down opening an opportunity.

'Come on! Gotta remember the training! Summon all of the chakra energy you can, and focus it in my feet!!' Sasuke thought as the needles got closer.

Haku jumped out the way as the needles came down in one big splatter. When the water cleared he was surprised to see that Sasuke was gone. 'Where did he-' Haku thought before he was interrupted. He leapt backwards, dodging shuriken that were being thrown at him.

"Your not fast." Came a voice from behind him. "Now you're the one who has to worr-"

"AARG!"

Sasuke turned his attention to Sakura, who now laid on her back.

"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled.

"Stay focused on **our** battle." Haku said as he quickly turned around to throw a punch, but Sasuke saw it coming and blocked and threw the kunai from his hand. Haku ducked down only to see that Sasuke was ready to kick him. 'He's fast!' he thought.

Kakashi headed toward the other enemy that had knocked Sakura from under the chin onto the ground. He took out a kunai ready to strike. Temari didn't even flinch or turn. 'Just a little closer.' she thought. When he was ready to strike, she quickly turned around, grabbing his wrist and twisting it which made his body move to the side. She landed a punch on his face only to find it was a clone. Her ears twitched a little as she heard the motion of Kakashi's movements. She turned forward and struck him under the throat with her hands together forming a V. Air was released from his lungs making him cough as he was sent flying toward Zabuza and landed at his feet.

"Enjoying the show Kakashi?" Zabuza asked only to be a little surprised when he saw Haku get kicked and look like an imitation of Kakashi.

"Your fast. I'm faster." Sasuke confirmed.

"You had that coming for underestimating my team and for name calling. He may not look like much but Sasuke is the top-ranked rookie from Konohagakure Village." Kakashi told him. "And Sakura is our sharpest mind." He went on as she got back on her feet wiping her mouth and ready for another go.

"Back for more?" Tema asked without even glancing over.

Sakura started to heat up and was ready for the second round. "Come on! Let's go!" she yelled. Inside, her inner self was ready to fight too. 'Now it's on girly! Chaa!!'

Sakura made clones of herself and started to run around her opponent in a circle, hoping to confuse her. They all pulled out kunai and were ready to throw them. After another circling they were all thrown though only one was real. The real one was thrown behind her, for Sakura was hopping to hit her target.

But to her dismay, it was caught between two fingers of her opponent. The kunai was flipped over and her finger went through the hole as she started to spin it. "Now it's my **turn**!"

"Haku..." Zabuza started. "Do you understand if this goes on, you could end up dying at the hands of the very person you sought to spare?"

"Yes, I do." Haku replied. "What a pity."

'Why does the air suddenly feel so cold?' Sasuke wondered as he watched Haku concentrate chakra. Soon, the water all around started to rise and form around him.

"Crystal Ice Mirror!"

'I don't know that technique!!' Kakashi thought, starting to panic.

Haku slid inside one of the mirrors and appeared on all of them.

"Damn!" Kakashi yelled heading towards his students but Zabuza blocked his way.

"Let's not forget, **I'm** your enemy! Our children can play together, while mine kills yours." Zabuza told him.

'No...'

Haku raised his needle high in a mirror as Sasuke's shirt suddenly ripped. Then he started being struck all over and he couldn't defend.

A kunai was thrown at Sakura who dodged it, only to find Tema behind her. She took a blow to the back and her outfit was grabbed. She was pulled in and kicked on her side and sent flying. It was so hard to focus when she knew Sasuke was in trouble!

"Sasuke! Sakura!" Kakashi yelled as he attempted to aid them again only to be stopped.

"Any sudden moves and I'll kill the bridge builder!" Zabuza told him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled as she threw a kunai towards him before being pounded on by Temari without having time to dodge. Haku's hand slid out of the mirror as he caught the kunai, but to his surprise was knocked by a shuriken. Temari was given an unsuspected blow that sent her into the mirrors.

Both Kakashi and Zabuza were surprised as well as Sakura who crawled to her feet. "Who?" she asked.

"That idiot...showoff." Sasuke mumbled with a smile through his bleeding cuts and wounds.

Kakashi was first to revive the surprise as he figured out who it was.

"And don't let me forget our Number-One-Hyper-Active-Knuckle-Head-Ninja!" he announced. He really was a knuckle head since they really needed a surprise attack.

"Naruto Uzumaki! At your service!!"

Temari felt her heart drop.


	6. Chapter 6

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter Six**

"Here I am to save the day! Just like the story goes! Things look bleak, till the hero arrives!" Naruto went on.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled in relief.

"Big talker..." Sasuke mumbled.

'That brat again?' Zabuza thought.

Haku just stared as he remembered his encounter with the boy, his words still ringing in his head. _'Training!! To build up strength!' _he recalled in his mind.

Zabuza took this opportunity and threw shuriken Naruto's way. "Damn!" Kakashi yelled. He couldn't do anything!

'Here it comes!!' Naruto told himself with a kunai in hand, ready to dodge the impact, but before he could react the weapons collided with others and fell to the ground.

Everyone was surprised by those actions. "Haku...Tema...What are you doing?" Zabuza asked as he saw Tema walk out from the mirrors. Naruto flinched a bit at that second name while there was a small silence. Haku was just as surprised at Tema's action as she was to his.

"Zabuza, sir..." Temari started trying to think of what to say.

"Please let us take this boy." Haku finished for her. "We want to fight him our own way." Temari wanted to object but knew she couldn't. It was all coming down to this.

"So, you two want me to keep off him. How charmingly native of you both...as usual..." Zabuza replied a little disappointed. But he let it slide. They gotta do what they gotta do.

'Those two native?' Sasuke asked himself while getting up. 'Yeah right! Look at me! It's like I'm being cut to ribbons by needles. But the cuts are all superficial. He's killing me by inches, saving the vital targets and the deathblow for later. And Sakura. If Naruto didn't stop that freak, then she would have been dead!'

'But I can't figure out his technique. His clones all hide in the mirrors and strike simultaneously! I don't even see him move. He attacks before I can see him. The mirrors are apart of his clones somehow, but I can't figure it out! What ever is going on, the mirrors must be the key! Looks like my only chance of survival is concentrating on the battle and trust Naruto to free me from the outside...'

"Yo Sasuke! I'm here to rescue you!" Naruto whispered beside Sasuke in the crystal mirrors.

"You idiot! No stealth! No caution! And you call yourself a ninja?!" Sasuke yelled. "Now that you've gotten yourself trapped here with me, just do what you want! I don't care!"

"Oh, fine!!" Naruto yelled back. "I went through hell to rescue you, and this is the thanks I get?!"

'Leave it to them.' Kakashi thought. 'Once Naruto starts 'helping' things go from bad to worse. If I go help Naruto and Sasuke, Tazuna will be exposed...but I can't abandon the boys!'

Haku slid into a mirror appearing on the other side. 'So the real body is over there!' Sasuke told himself, reaching for his weapons pouch.

"Over here."

Confused, Sasuke turned his head and saw Haku in the mirror behind him, whether it was the real deal or a clone. 'Looks like destroying all the mirrors may be our only hope!' Sasuke put his hands together, performing hand signs. "Fire Style, Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"

Sasuke inhaled deep, then exhaled a blazing inferno. Fire roared all around inside the mirrors with Sasuke and Naruto watching from the sidelines. "It's not even making a dent!!" Naruto yelled annoyed.

"That pitiful flame will barely touch my ice mirrors..." Haku started. "...But it does seem to give you an advantage here, don't you think Tema?"

The two boys looked around to see who Haku was talking to but saw no one. "I guess." a voice replied from nowhere.

The two stayed on their guard. Suddenly the leftover flames that were still blazing on the ground started to grow to a maximum size. "What the hell is happening?!" Naruto yelled as he dodged flames that started to fling themselves over to him and Sasuke.

Sasuke searched around, trying to find who was causing this while dodging the blaze. 'Is that kid doing this?' he asked himself only to see Haku in the mirror not doing anything. 'No, it can't be him. Then who?' He let his body fall to the ground as a mini inferno flew over him. On the ground he spied feet on the ground...not in the mirrors. Removing some shuriken from his weapons pouch, he threw them.

They wizzed through the fire about to hit their target. Sasuke stayed low to the ground, watching as the pair of feet moved to dodge the weapons that were thrown. The flames slowly died down to nothing but specks on the ground.

"Stop, drop, and roll! Stop, drop, and Roll! Stop, drop, and ROLL!!" Sasuke looked over at Naruto who was rolling on the ground for dear life as the flames on his jacket diminished.

Looking back at Haku, he noticed the second masked kid. 'She must be the one responsible for the fire.' he thought.

"I didn't expect you to catch on that quick." Haku stated surprised. Temari made no comment.

Naruto got up from the ground staring dead at Temari. "Alright! Now its my turn!" Putting his hands together, he made clones that all charged for her.

"Stop!!" Sasuke yelled, expecting Haku to attack but he didn't.

The clones came at Temari in a group. Punching, kicking, whatever they could do to cause some damage. But with every try she dodged, making the clones attack themselves.

Haku was a bit surprised. Normally Tema would have already finished the battle and that boy would be down. But she wasn't attacking. She wasn't doing _anything_. Something was wrong.

"Gaaah!" Naruto was sent flying, landing next to Sasuke. "Damn it..." he mumbled as Sasuke shook his head slightly. "Alright, new plan!!" Making more clones, Naruto charged for the mirrors.

Listening to the movements around her, Tema could tell Naruto wasn't going after her anymore. It had to be Haku...but then...

"Haku! No!!" she yelled, but the attack was already in motion. Haku and his clones slide out of the mirrors attacking the Narutos. All the clones disappeared as the real Naruto skid next to Sasuke again. Under her mask, Temari had a horrid face. She couldn't stand this anymore. She just wanted it all to be over.

"The technique I'm using is part of teleportation, and the only tool I need to perform it is the mirrors that hold my image." Haku explained. "I move so quickly, you might as well be standing still."

Outside the mirrors...

'So that's it!' Kakashi finally got it. "I never imagined that anyone could master such a technique at such a young age."

"Such a technique?" Sakura asked from a distance.

"It's a Kekkei Genkai, a skill that can be passed from one generation to the next." Kakashi explained.

"You mean..."

"Precisely, it's of the same order of skill as my Sharingan Mirror Eye... But even my Sharingan can't copy, mimic, or break this boy's Kekkei Genkai."

Back in the Ice Mirrors...

"I've had enough..."

This caught Sasuke's attention as well as Temari's and Haku's. "So, is this it?" Haku asked.

"It can't end like this! I've got a dream to fulfill!" Naruto huffed out through his pain.

'_Dreams_..._' _Haku thought as he remembered more of their conversation. _'To become top dog in my home town! All the people who used to treat me like dirt will have to say 'He's the number one ninja!'_

"I find it difficult to embrace the full shinobi philosophy." Haku stated causing Tema to look up at him. "I can't help but prefer that the pair of you not force _us _to kill you. However, if you two are going to come at me or her, I shall kill my own heart with my own blade- just as the word 'shinobi' was originally the words 'heart' and 'blade'- and act as a full-fledged shinobi would!"

"This bridge is a collision of our destinies and all of our dreams and balance on the edge of a knife. I have my own dreams as you have yours. Please do not to resent me, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect the ones I care about most and to fight, kill, or die to fulfill their dreams. Doing so is my own. To that end, I will become a true shinobi, and I shall **kill you both**."

Temaru looked at Haku, feeling touched under her mask. She felt proud to have someone like Haku as a friend, or more as a second little brother. But at the same time, she might lose her first.

Naruto and Sasuke just looked at the two of them with smirks on their faces.

Outside the mirrors...

"Sasuke! Naruto! Don't you dare lose to a person like him!!" Sakura yelled from a distance away from the mirrors.

"Stop encouraging them, Sakura." Kakashi ordered. "Even if we knew of a way to counter his technique, your teammates still wouldn't be up to the task of defeating that boy."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Heh, those two haven't yet developed the psychological strength to turn their hearts to ice and take a human life." Zabuza answered. "That boy has lived with the kind of emotional anguish that prepares him to be a true shinobi. No true shinobi could ever be born in a place like your village, a place of weakness and of peace. You don't live with death or grow up needing to kill to ensure your survival. In you those skills- and the mindset they require- die stubborn! And I know my girl has that potential, too!"

"Kakashi-sensei...What can we do?!" Sakura asked a bit confused.

Kakashi made no replie as he flexed his hand. "You'll forgive me if I put an end to this!" Kakashi told Zabuza as he was ready to remove his hitai-ate from his left eye.

"Going to use the sharingan?" Zabuza asked a little excited. "What a vulgar maneuver. So obvious, so lacking in finesse!"

Zabuza move forward toward Kakashi, kunai in hand. Kakashi was a bit surprised and didn't have time to dodge. When Zabuza struck, he caught the kunai in his opposite palm, letting his blood ooze out.

"You can sneer all you want about my 'lack of finesse', Zabuza..." Kakashi started. "...It doesn't change the fact that you're afraid of the Sharingan. And of me."

"Heh,heh. A ninja's secret weapon should be employed judiciously, not displayed at random to every foe you face!" Zabuza shot back.

"You should feel privileged." Kakashi sneered. "No one else has ever lived to see the Sharingan a second time. And no one will ever see it thrice!"

"Heh, by all means, defeat me if you can. You still won't have what it takes to kill Haku or Tema!"

'Those two are so powerful that even Kakashi-sensei can't beat them?!' Sakura asked herself, worried as she chewed on her finger.

"Since he was a toddler, I've beaten his fighting skills into him!" Zabuza told Kakashi. "Even in the face of the unthinkable adversity, he has always prevailed! He's lost all regard for his own life and becoming a killing machine. And I put Tema through **hell** when she trained. She has the record of learning years of training in less than two weeks. Their skills surpass even my own. Haku bears within him the formidable legacy of an inherited Kekkei Genkai while Tema is obedient and can cause a _whole_ country destruction if need be!"

He removed the kunai from Kakashi's hand as more blood poured out. "Thus, I have forged and carry with me weapons of matchless quality and skill, entirely unlike the scraps of trash that follow at your heels."

Kakashi removed his hitai-ate. "Is there anything duller than listening to someone else brag? It's show time!"

"Perhaps you might hold off a moment. Now that I've caught my breath, and-to borrow your own idiom-permit me one more boast." Zabuza replied calmly. "You turned a very pretty phase at our last encounter..." Kakashi looked surprised and confused while Sakura was just surprised and Mr. Tazuna was confused. "Frankly, I've been dying to steal it. Something to the effect of 'Just so you know, the same spell won't work on me twice."

'And now...' Zabuza thought. 'The Kirigakure Jutsu.' Soon the mist had gotten thicker as Zabuza faded out of sight.

Back in the mirrors...again...

"Aw man..." Naruto wined. "Sasuke! We've gotta stop reacting and take back the initiative!!"

"Shut up and get on your feet!" Sasuke replied. I can't fight him and watch out for you, too! We're both wounded, but we have to suck it up and go on. We'll be fine as long as they don't kill one of us! There must be a limit to his chakra. His attacks a getting weaker!"

They stayed on their guard, waiting for an attack. From a outside of the mirrors, Temari jumped in, having a punch ready. She was aiming for Sasuke, but was hoping he would be able to dodge. To her relief, he did dodge, letting her fist hit the concrete leaving behind a three foot deep crater with a little less than half a meter diameter. 'But she's defiantly not tired.' Sasuke reminded himself as he watched her back-flip out of the mirrors again.

Sasuke watched as Haku moved in the mirror. 'He's coming.' Sasuke was about to move when a needle went through his knee.

Outside the mirrors...

"Sakura!" Kakashi yelled. "I'm counting on you to protect Mr. Tazuna!!"

'He's right!' Sakura thought. 'I've got to have faith in Sasuke and concentrate on what I have to do.'

"The air is crackling with his energy Mr. Tazuna! Stay by my side!!" Sakura instructed.

"All right, Sakura!" Tazuna replied.

'The fog is too thick for the Hiding-in-the-Mist Technique!' Kakashi thought. 'Even Zabuza won't be able to see anything through it.'

Kakashi kept his guard up as he waited for an attack. Soon, he was blocking at least two dozen shuriken that was coming his way.

"You repelled those nicely...No less than I'd expect of Kakashi of the sharingan eye." Zabuza said from behind Kakashi. "However the next time you see me, it will still be the end."

Kakashi looked at him stunned. 'His eyes are closed!!'

"You've overestimated the value of your sharingan."

"What?!" Kakashi asked as Zabuza melted back into the mist.

"You pretend it enables you to penetrate all, but you've turned out to be a false prophet after all, Kakashi...You can neither read my mind nor tell the future. In other words, your precious sharingan is just as elaborate hoax, a confidence trick you play in order to psych out your opponents. More precisely, it combines clarity of perception and insight on your own part with the ability to all but hypnotize those around you! Using those skills in concert, you are able to create your illusions through a combination of mimicry from movement, to thoughts, to the skills of those you fight! And prancing around like you can see the future!" Zabuza finished.

"Knowing that, it was simple to choose a countermeasure. First I conceal myself within this thick mist and neutralize your visual acuity." Kakashi was having hidden attacks thrown at him, but he kept his hands up though it was hard to block what you couldn't see. "Heh, with my eyes closed, I eliminate the possibility of your hypnotizing me while we're in close proximity."

"But then, while I can't use my own eyes, neither can you!!" Kakashi stated.

"Ah, but you forget.."

"What?!"

"I am trained in silent killing. My genius lies in the ability to hunt by sound alone!"

"Damn it...' Kakashi thought. 'I've been so worried about Naruto and Sasuke, I hadn't considered how long it's been since I had to fight under conditions this intense! I've got to calm down and stay smart. Who will he target next?!' A few seconds pasted before he got his answer. 'No!'

Zabuza silently appeared behind Mr. Tazuna. He took his sword ready to swing it, sending Tazuna to his end. But at the last minute Kakashi appeared in front of Zabuza.

"Too Late!!" Zabuza declared as he brought down his sword.

"Aieeeee!!"

Back in the mirrors...

"That was Sakura's voice!!' Sasuke noticed as he tried to get up. 'What the hell does Kakashi think he's doing?!' He took a glance at Naruto who lied helpless on the ground. 'If this keeps up, we'll be in serious trouble! I've got to do something! My eyes are beginning to adjust to the environment...'

'I've been targeting points that would result in mortal injuries, but he's evaded every attempt!' Haku thought. 'And while he's dividing his own focus between fighting and watching out for his friend, he's gradually gaining speed, beginning to catch up with my moves...That kid can see something!'

'This is not good!' Temari thought as she listened from the outside of the mirrors. By the sounds of the movements so far, Naruto has been down and that other kid is still going at it. Something very bad was going to happen. She could just feel it.

"You move well." Haku spoke as he looked down at Sasuke from a mirror. "But my next assault will take you down!"

'He shows amazing stamina reflexes, training, skill and judgement thought his every faculty must be extended past its limit by now.'

'Here he comes!' Sasuke thought. 'Stay...focus...concentrate...and look through the illusion!!'

Haku made his attack and was surprised to see that Sasuke had dodged his attack along with grabbing Naruto out of the way. He watched as the slid on the ground. 'He wasn't fooled or even confused! Impossible!!' He stared at Sasuke to see...the Sharingan.

'His eyes are...it can't be..! They're sharingan...?!'

"You're..!! I see. You, too, share the legacy of a Kekkei Genkai Bloodline!" Haku stated.

'An amazing boy...a prodigy still in the fledgling stages. To find that ability within himself and force it to awaken, untutored in the heat of battle!' Haku pondered.

"I can't let this fight go on! My own art forces me to expand a great deal of chakra, so there is a limit to how long I can go using it!" Haku explained. "And I'm certain that the longer our duel drags on, the greater your ability to perceive my movements will become! Especially to a certain extent you can already see me now!!"

Temari's eye twitched. She wasn't liking the sound of any of that. But since what Haku was saying was true then how would he get the boy? It would be full hardy to try and target him directly...unless... "Oh no..." she mumbled as she rushed inside to try and stop everything.

"Time to bring this to an end!!" Haku yelled as he came out of the mirror, going right past Tema.

Sasuke turned to see where Haku was going and noticed he was going after Naruto. 'He's going after Naruto?! No! I have to get there first!'

Temari stopped dead in her tracks. It happened faster that she thought. She just stood there, horrified under her mask as the intense smell of blood filled her nose.

Outside the mirrors...

"Kakashi-sensei!!" Sakura yelled as she spied the large wound in his chest.

"You were slow on your guard, Kakashi!!" Zabuza said, a little depression in his voice. "Your desire to save those brats caused the blood to rise to your head, obscuring your thoughts and vision as surely as the fog I've created does! Even with your eye and the impressive eye and the formidable powers you wield with it, your ability to read minds has been blunted!"

He gave a small snicker. "I want to enjoy this Kakashi! Paying back what you did to me would give me the greatest pleasure! And don't worry. Haku and Tema should be finishing off those brats of yours right about now. I'll be reuniting you with them shortly. When you meet them in the afterlife, beg them for them to forgive you for your weakness and folly."

'Sasuke won't be easy for someone like those masked kids to defeat!' Sakura thought after hearing Zabuza's words. 'Nether will Naruto!!'

"Your right." Kakashi replied from Sakura's thoughts. "I have faith in them and in their strengths. Naruto's unpredictability and Sasuke is one of the most worthy heirs to the superior bloodline of Konohagakure Village!"

"You don't mean..." Zabuza started.

"That's right. His full name is Sasuke Uchiha. He's a genius who carries in his genes the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha Clan!"

"So he's the sole surviving member of that tragic clan, eh..." Zabuza trailed off. 'No wonder his development is so remarkable.' he thought. "So he may be Haku's equal, but no one has ever penetrated the secret of Haku's techniques...until now...No one." Zabuza faded back into the mist.

"He's gone again!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Sakura, don't move an inch." Kakashi instructed. "I'll finish this as quickly as I can!" After that sentence, he headed into the mist. "Did you hear that Zabuza? Do you really think after all of the hardships I've survived on this world armed only with the sharingan? I, too, was once a member of a Ninja Assassin Corps. I'll show you what kind of shinobi I once was. This isn't something I learned with the sharingan. It's my own true art!"

Back in the mirrors...

Naruto's fingers twitched a bit before he gained consciousness. He sat up a bit to get a better view of his surroundings seeing Sasuke in front of him and Haku on the ground.

"Sheesh. No matter how many times I warn you, Naruto, you still keep getting in the way..."

Naruto sat up more. "Sasuke! You-" His sentence stopped at the site of his partner cut to ribbons. Blood was everywhere and needles stuck out of his body. Naruto was _stunned_.

"Now get that lame expression off your stupid face...you screw-up!" Sasuke told him, turning his head slightly.

"Wh-Why?" Naruto asked. The only response he got was 'hmph.'

"You know, I used to **hate** you..." Sasuke mustered out.

"But..Why did you..?! Why...Me?" Sasuke made no reply. "You should have just minded your own business!!" he yelled.

"...How...should I know...? My body...just moved... on its own...you idiot...!" Sasuke chocked out. He lost his balance, falling backward on Naruto's body. "I swore...I wouldn't die...until I killed him...my...older brother...thought the oath...would save me...but...but don't you dare die..."

Naruto couldn't believe what was happening. Sasuke...**the** Sasuke, had just died in his hands.

"He struck one blow at me...and without any shirking, sacrificed himself for you." Haku said from the other side with Temari beside him, making sure he was okay. "He was a shinobi worthy of the utmost respect. Who in order to protect someone he cared about, threw himself headlong into what he knew full well was a trap." Haku stood up. "Is this the first time a comrade of yours has died? Such is a ninja's path." He slid back into his mirror as Temari was looking dead at her brother. The smell of Sasuke's blood still in her nose.

"Shut up." Naruto said as Sasuke's words kept playing in his head. '_You know, I used to hate you_...' "I'm never going to forgive either if you for this..."

Haku and Tema were both surprised by what was happening

"**I'm Gonna Kill You!!**"

Naruto's body was covered with a swirl of red chakra. 'What chakra is this?' Haku wondered. He watched as it took the form of a fox. Temari could feel the vibrations. 'Impossible!! His chakra is physically manifesting itself! And an appalling chakra it is!' Slowly, Naruto's wound's started to heal. 'His wounds are healing themselves! Who-What on Earth is he?!'

His fingers grew to resemble claws and his canines grew sharp. His whisker scars darkened while his eyes grew sharp. He turned to look at the two of them. Death written all over his face.

Outside the mirrors...

Both Kakashi and Zabuza were shocked at the intense chakra that was overfilling the crystal mirrors.

"Is this Zabuza's doing?!" Kakashi asked out loud. 'No!' he thought. 'No...this power...this energy...is...foul...it's evil...and familiar...But it can't be!'

'This chakra...' Zabuza thought. 'I'm feeling something about it...fills me with dread! Kakashi?! No...it seems bigger than Kakashi somehow. But who...?!'

'Naruto!' Kakashi finally thought. 'Unbelievable, it can't be!! After all this time, has the binding spell begun to unravel? Is the seal broken?' A few minutes pasted. 'I sense that we're safe for now. **It** hasn't broken through yet...not completely. But the seal has slipped a little, or cracked. And the power of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox is bleeding through. If I act quickly, there's still a chance!'

Removing a scroll, Kakashi flipped it with one hand while his other slid through his cut gathering his blood. Grabbing the scroll, he wiped his blood on it. "Listen to me Zabuza. I'm a busy man. You're a busy man. We both have a lot on our plates. And it goes against the grain to even suggest this, but what do you say we stop fooling around, and wrap this up right now? One big move, winner take all?" He threw the scroll, making it close, and caught it with his hands.

"An intriguing notion..." Zabuza replied. "What's left Kakashi? Show me what you've got!"

Back in the mirrors...

The chakra vibration kept getting stronger and stronger. Temari backed up a little bit, her back touching the mirror. Naruto just stared at the two of them.

Soon his anger had risen and he charged toward them. 'He's attacking!' Haku thought as he threw his needles at his enemy, but they just bounced off his body. Naruto let out a bloodthirsty roar causing Haku to move to a different mirror at the top, leaving Tema alone.

Naruto continued to charge at her. "Tema!!" Haku yelled. Temari wanted to move, but her body was petrified. His chakra was scaring her along with his actions. Naruto had never acted like this before. Once close enough, he grabbed her outfit and threw her to the other side of the mirrors. She hit the mirror face first, causing a dent in her mask. "Tema!!" Haku yelled again as he watched his partner pull herself to her feet.

Haku flew out of the mirror, ready to strike, but Naruto jumped out of the way causing Haku to make a crater that was similar to the one Tema made earlier in the battle.

'I've got to make it to the next mirror!!' Haku thought as he moved as fast as he could...but Naruto grabbed his wrist. 'He couldn't have-!!' Naruto let out another roar. 'I can't withstand his chakra any more!!' Haku tried to focus and break Naruto's grip on him, but he squeezed harder, breaking it.

Pulling back his fist, Naruto was about to punch him in the face, when Temari jumped in-between them, taking the impact of the punch. Her head collided with Haku's mask as they went flying. She quickly spun around in the air, placing herself under Haku and grabbing him as their bodies smashed through a mirror. Her body bounced on the ground, cushioning Haku above her as her mask started to fall off in pieces. Her grip on Haku broke and she slid farther away.

The crystal mirrors cracked and fell apart, kicking up some dust. When it started to die down, Naruto saw a figure still standing. He broke out in a run toward the figure.

"I have failed..." Haku slowly said as his mask fell off his face in pieces and Naruto got closer to him. Naruto jumped up as he was ready to punch him. "Master Zabuza."

The fist was only as few inches from Haku's face when it stopped. "You're the kid I met that morning..." Naruto said as he remembered being in the forest training.


	7. Chapter 7

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter Seven**

"Why did you stop?" Haku asked. "I murdered your comrade...your beloved friend...and you still spare me?"

Naruto took a quick glance at Sasuke's body. "Crap!!" he yelled punching Haku in the face. Haku landed on his back, then rolled over coughing up blood.

"All that power you had before...where is it?" Haku asked. "You can't hope to kill me with the meager force you put into that blow."

Naruto huffed as sweat ran down his face, remembering Haku's words for earlier and before.

'_Do you have someone special in your life?_ _I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect the ones I most care about_._ Doing so is my own dream_.'

"Often people have it wrong, mistakenly believing that showing mercy to an enemy is kindness." Haku spoke. "They spare the foe whose life is in their hands." Naruto looked at him blankly. "Don't you see? It's an empty existence. To go on living alone and unloved when defeat's already cost you your dream!"

"Say what?" Naruto asked.

"Master Zabuza has no use for weak shinobi." Haku said with a smile. "You've taken away my reason for living. Tema can take my place."

'_When people are protecting something truly precious to them, they truly can become as strong as the must be!_'

'Why?' Naruto wondered. "Why waste all that devotion on such a creep?!" Naruto yelled. "That mercenary scumbag doesn't care who he works for or who gets hurt, just so someone can pay him! Is that browless wonder really precious to you?! One of your 'Beloved Friends'!?"

"Once... I was precious. I belonged to...my parents..." Haku began. "I was born in a snowy little village in the land of the mist. And I was happy. My parents were good, kind people. But...Just as I was getting old enough to really notice the world around me, something happened."

"Like what?" Naruto asked. "What happened?"

"Blood. My blood."

"Blood..? What are you talking about?"

"My father killed my mother...and tried to kill me."

"Why?" Naruto asked shocked.

"The land of the mist has been the scenes of generations of non-stop war. Among the people who possess Kekkei Genkai are loathed as abominations." Haku answered.

"Kekkei Genkai?"

"The term refers to clans whose bloodlines give them powers like mine. Inherited skills that were exploited and twisted, used to cause horrible slather until we ceased to be looked on as warriors or even weapons, but were condemned as the harbingers of doom. After the wars were over, we who possessed this trait were hunted, only able to survive by hiding the existence of our skills and our bloodline away. Exposure meant certain death! I'm sure the boy I killed, who shared that skill, must also have grown up knowing the pain of which I speak. We are special. We are powerful. And we are feared."

"My father learned that my mother came from such a clan and before I even realized what I was about to do...my father died at my hand. And then it came to me. I knew what I was. And I was forced to accept it. That was the most painful thing..."

"The most painful thing?" Naruto questioned.

"Accepting that I was alone in the world. _Superfluous_._ Unwanted_._ Shunned_."

Naruto recognized those words. The same words that haunted him.

"Didn't you tell me that you wanted to become the number one ninja in your village and make everyone respect you?" Haku asked. "If you had someone in your life who did more than that, who acknowledged your existence-even cared for you- wouldn't that person become the most important, treasured, person in your life?"

At that moment, an image of Iruka and Temari popped into Naruto's head. Iruka with his support and kindness. And Temari with her love. Her heart.

"Master Zabuza adopted me, knowing I came from a Kekkei Genkai Bloodline. The very same thing that made everyone else hate me. He didn't just overlook it, he cherished it. He wanted it!" Naruto watched as he saw tears come to Haku's eyes. "I was so happy!!"

"Years had gone by but that happiness never diminished. Then, I met Tema." Haku turned his head over at the girl whos back was to them, her body not moving. "She started to work with me as my partner, always giving me smiles and a feeling I hadn't felt in years...She gave me love. She was always by my side, wither I needed her or not. She took your punch for me and cushioned my fall, sacrificing her own body for mine...like a true shinobi."

"Please, Naruto. Take my life."

--

Zabuza stayed hidden in the mist, waiting for Kakashi surprise him. He watched as his enemy made hand signs, and slam the scroll on the ground. "This posturing will get you nowhere, Kakashi." Zabuza called out. "You can't even tell where I truly am! While I, on the other hand, know exactly where you are and how to defeat you! You are completely enmeshed in my spell!"

Zabuza put his hands up, ready to attack when the ground started to shake. "Eh-?" he wondered as the ground started to come up. "No!!" Dogs of all sizes jumped out from the concrete bitting onto Zabuza, holding him down.

"When your eyes and your ears let you down, you can always follow your nose!" Kakashi said calmly. "It worked because you shut your eyes in the mist. This conjuration is specifically designed for tracking. It's why I went out of my way to bleed a bit during both of our earlier encounters. My ninja hounds couldn't miss it! The smell of my blood is all over you and your weapons are so thick. Every dog has his nose and they all know you stink. So, who's enmeshed in whose spell now?"

Kakashi took a slight look around. "The fog is lifting and I can see your future. Your future is death."

"You say my future is death. I've had enough of your bluffs."

"Who's bluffing?" Kakashi asked. "There's no way out. Face it. Your going to die. Zabuza you had your fun. You schemed your schemes. The day you deserted the land of mist and became a turncoat and renegade, your name and your actions were reported to us at Konoha Village. We know all about the failed coup you and your followers staged, and about the attempt to assassinate Mizukage, the water shadow, lader of your people. You've been trying to raise funds for a second attempt, and barely staying a jump ahead of the shinobi hunters. Which is what brought you here. It's why you'd stoop to work for a parasite like Gato."

Kakashi performed more hand signs as Zabuza watched what looked like electricity form around him. "Lightning Blade!"

'What the?!' Zabuza thought. 'I can almost see the chakra in his palm!'

"You're a loose cannon." Kakashi said. "The man you're trying to kill, Mr. Tazuna, is the heart and spirit of this place. And the bridge you're trying to prevent him from completing is the land's hope. You're willing to sacrifice this place and everyone in it, just to advence your own ambitions. That's not what a true shinobi does."

"Spare me the civics lesson and philosophy. I'm fighting for my own ideals." Zabuza spat. "And I'm not about to stop."

"I'll say this just once more. Give up. Your future is death."

--

"Please kill me now, Naruto."

Naruto just stood there.

"What are you waiting for?"

Naruto gasped a bit. What was he to do? "What is with you?!" he yelled. "You're used to being the toughest. You don't like to lose. I get that! But wanting to die just 'cause someone beat you is crazy!"

"There's more to life than just fighting. There's more to you! Your boss must like you for more than just that, right? Doesn't he? That day I met you in the forest...I remember thinking that we were two of a kind. Surely you can understand. You'll have to bloody your hands. Forgive me for that."

"Is that...Is that the only way? No other outcome?"

"Yes." Naruto took out a kunai. "I hope you find your dream."

Naruto stole a quick glance at Sasuke. "Sasuke had a dream, too. If we had met some other way, you and me could have been friends." He started to dash at Haku.

"Thank you." Haku replied as Naruto got closer. He was about ti land the final blow when..

"STOP!!"

Naruto stopped running, turning his head to where the voice came from.

"Please, don't do it, Naruto!!"

There a few feet away was the girl from earlier. Her mask had broken off and blood was oozing out from her forehead where it was hit, sliding down her face. The bandages on her arm were torn and hanging while her other was scratched up from sliding on the concrete.

"T-T-Temari?!" Naruto gasped. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. It was her. He had been fighting her. His own _**sister**_!

"Please, Naruto. Don't kill Haku." Temari pleaded.

"Tema, you know him?" Haku asked.

"He's...my little brother..."

Suddenly, both Haku and Temari felt a shudder run down their bodies. "Tema! I'm sorry!" Haku yelled as he disappeared.

"Haku!!" Temari yelled. She was about to run after him when she noticed a hard sheet of ice was around one of her ankles. She tugged and pulled desperately but the ice wouldn't break.. "Haku!! No!!"

--

Kakashi reared closer to Zabuza, ready to strike. He brought his hand forward, piercing through

a chest causing a strong gust of wind.

"What's going on?!" Sakura asked out loud as she shielded her face.

Blood spattered everywhere as Kakashi's hounds started to disappear. The wind cleared along with the mist making everything visible. Sakura clasped her hands over her mouth in horror. Both Kakashi and Zabuza were stunned at the sight.

Kakashi's hand had gone straight through Haku's chest who stood in-between them. He coughed up some blood. "Master...Zabuza..." he slowly said, gripping onto Kakashi.

"You said my future was death, but you missed again Kakashi." Zabuza sneered.

Naruto turned his head to see what his sister was looking at. 'What in the...' he thought.

"Isn't that one of those kids in the mask?" Tazuna asked.

'He jumped between to save Zabuza.' Kakashi thought.

"That was brilliant Haku." Zabuza said.

'The boy...' Kakashi notice. '...Is already dead.'

Zabuza reached over his shoulder to his sword. "Kakashi-sensei!!" Sakura yelled.

"I really did find a treasure in that gutter!! To think he'd grant me this marvelous chance in the end!" Zabuza declared as he swung his sword. Kakashi grabbed Haku and jumped out of the way. He placed him down, removing his hand. "So, you were able to get away because you knew poor Haku was already dead."

'That unforgivable scumbag!!' Naruto thought as he heard a crack. Turning to his sister, he saw her break her ankle free. She ran towards the fighters.

"Haku!!" she called, tears in her face. She approached Kakashi and Haku's body. "Oh Haku." She whispered as she quickly fell to her knees. She wrapped her hands around him and sobbed into him, not caring that she was getting his blood on her. Kakashi only looked at the girl sorrowfully as he closed Haku's eyes. "...That should have been me..." Temari said as she cried.

"Naruto!! Your alive!!" Naruto turned to see Sakura yelling. "But...Where's Sasuke?!" Naruto flinched.

"Focus Kakashi!" Zabuza yelled running towards them. "Don't let yourself be distracted!!" Kakashi threw him a kick in the gut, making sure not to fall on top of Haku and the girl. Zabuza slid back. He charged again only to be punched in the face. He slid back a few more inches. He took the opportunity to swing his sword. Kakashi dodged, grabbing his neck from behind.

"There's no way you can beat me." Kakashi said. Zabuza made no comment. "It's over. You just don't know it yet." Taking out two kunai, he aimed. "This is good-bye, Demon!!"

He plunged the kunai forward, not expecting Zabuza to bring his leg around like a kick. His kunai dug into his leg. That's when Kakashi noticed.

"Your not Zabuza."

There was a poof and the girl was in his lock. Her leg collapsed from under her, forcing Kakashi to let her go.

"Temari!!" Naruto yelled. He couldn't understand it. Why was she protecting him? He was just using her like he did Haku. Why stay?

Behind Kakashi, Zabuza appeared, sword in hand. He swung trying to hit Kakashi who jumped out of the way. He landed on the side of Zabuza, digging the same kunai into his arm. Zabuza was about to switch his sword to his other hand when it was stabbed, too.

"Master Zabuza!!" Temari shrieked.

"Now you can't use either arm." "Kakashi confirmed. "No spells. No katas. No chakra."

"Well, he's certainly made a fine mess of you. What a pity..."

All attention was turned to a short man in a black suite with a cane. Behind him were dozens of thugs and punks. "Gato..." Zabuza said. "What are you doing here? And why'd you bring them?!"

"There's been a short change of plan." Gato replied. "Your plan anyway. This is what I had in mind all along. Your going to die right here, right now 'Demon'."

"What?!"

"You must have guessed. I never intended to pay you. It's such a bother hiring skilled shinobi affiliated with one of the top villages. It's expensive...And they tend to have friends who object when I betray and kill them. It's so much simpler to hire Ukenin-renegades-like yourself. No one cares what I do to your kind once the job is done. All of you ninja are so eager to fight each other. Once you've worn each other down, common thugs can finish off the rest. It's great business plan- efficient and inexpensive."

"My only mistake was hiring you in the first place. Calling yourself the demon of Kirigakure is just plain **false** advertising. Your no demon, More like a baby demon at that."

'Who the hell are they?' Naruto thought. 'That's some crowd.'

"Forgive me Kakashi. Our fight is over." Zabuza told him leaving Kakashi a bit surprised. "I no longer have any reason to assassinate Tazuna. Which settles our differences."

"Yeah..." Kakashi agreed. "Your right."

"That reminds me..." Gato remembered as he walked over to Haku's body. "I still have a score to settle. You crushed my arm until you almost broke my bones!" With that said he kicked Haku's head. "Dead meat, carrion."

"Haku!!" Temari yelled.

"What the hell are you doing, you creep?!" Naruto yelled. He dashed forward but was caught by Kakashi.

"Cool down. Think. There's a lot of them."

"Hey!!" Naruto yelled to Zabuza. "Why don't you do something?! He worked for you!! He was practically your slave!!"

"Like what? Haku is dead." Zabuza answered, stunning Temari.

"But you should care! That fat scumbag is desecrating him!! He was one of your comrades...your partners...he worked for you for years!!"

"Gato's been using me...and I used Haku. Weren't you listening? It's a shinobi's lot. All of us are either users, or tools, or both. I didn't value Haku for himself, but for the taint his blood carried and what his talents could do for me. I apologize for nothing."

"You...Do you really mean that?" Naruto asked. He broke free of Kakashi's grasp.

"Stop it, Naruto!" Kakashi demanded. "Leave him alone. Our quarrel is over. Besides which-"

"Shut Up!! He's still my enemy!!" Naruto yelled pointing at Zabuza.

"Who is this obnoxious brat?" Gato asked. "He's been making a nuisance of himself."

Naruto ignored him. "He really cared for you!!" Naruto yelled pointing at Haku.

'_Do you have someone special in your life_?_'_

"He was devoted to you!!"

'_When people are protecting something truly precious to them, they can truly become as strong as they must be.'_

"But you think that's just nothing! That he was nothing! You don't feel a thing!"

'_I find it difficult to embrace to full shinobi philosophy.' _

"Are you really that heartless?" Tears started to form in his eyes.

'_I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams. To that end I will become a true shinobi!'_

"Is that how you get...When your powers are as strong as yours are? He gave his life for you!"

'_Doing so is my own dream.'_

"He died without any of his dreams ever coming true."

'_...I was so happy!'_

"To die as his tool...That's too much, too cruel..."

"Kid..." Zabuza started. "Not another word." Tears were coming out off his eyes as well. "What Haku did was not for me. While we fought, he broke his heart over you and your friends. That's the truth. He was too kind and gentle. I'm glad my last battle was against you, boy. And, your right you know. Say what we will, do what we will. In the end, we shinobi are still just people after all. With feelings all too-human. And I've lost everything but one."

"But...one?" Naruto asked.

"I'm going to make sure at least one of Haku's dreams come true."

"Master Zabuza..." Temari muffled out as she struggled to get up, blood coming out of her wound.

"No Tema. This is a battle I have to fight alone, for you and Haku both. But I just want you to know that I was happy to have you on the team and I was proud to train you."

"Master Zabuza...what are you talking about?" Temari asked trying to fight back tears as she tried to stand up.

"Kid, could you lend me your kunai knife?" Zabuza asked.

Naruto thought for a minute. "Sure." He replied throwing him a kunai.

Catching it in his mouth, Zabuza started dashed forward toward the crowd of thugs. "What?!" Gato yelled surprised. "That's enough! What are all of you waiting for? Kill all of them!!

"Let's go!" the crowd yelled as they raised their weapons high. "Even if you're a ninja, you're half-dead against all of us! You don't stand a chance!" At that moment, mist started to appear behind Zabuza, taking on a shape. "A demon!!"

Gato smirked to himself as he waited to see Zabuza's dead body, but to his surprise, Zabuza was running through the thugs, right towards him. Weapons of all sorts were being stabbed into him, but that didn't slow him down.

"Master Zabuza!! No!!" Temari yelled. She tried to run forward, forgetting her leg, and fell to the ground. "No!!" she cried again as her ears picked up the sound of the weapons drilling themselves into Zabuza's skin. It felt like they were drilling into her as well. "No! Please!" she pleaded. "Please!! I wish I could see!! I wish I could see!!"

Zabuza reared up to Gato, placing the kunai to his neck. "Why won't you die?!" the thugs asked as they stabbed him with more weapons.

"If you're in such a hurry," Gato started. "To be reunited with your little runt, go alone!!"

"I have no intention of going to the same place as Haku." Zabuza told him.

"What are you babbling about?"

"Heh, I'm taking you with me to **Hell**!! Even an ogre in name only, a washout from Kirigakure Village, can become a real demon in how he meets his death. Once we're in Hell, I can take my time, and show you over and over, who is or is not, 'A baby Demon'!!"

With that last sentence said, Zabuza moved his body to one side, taking Gato's head along with him. Gato's head bounced on the ground while Zabuza stood firm. He looked at all the thugs with a killing expression on his face making them back away in fright.

Zabuza only smiled as it took over him. "Please keep me by your side." he whispered as he fell. "It's goodbye now, Haku...Thanks for everything...and...I'm sorry..."

"No!!"

--

**-sob- -sob-**

'Oh my head...'

**-sob- -sob-**

'...Am I dead...?'

-**sob- -sob-**

'..Sakura...? Am I...Am I...'

"Sakura...Your arm's heavy."

Sakura looked at Sasuke with miracle written all over her face. "Saskue!!" she cried as she hugged him. "Sasuke! Sasuke!!"

"Sakura, your hurting me..." Sasuke muffled out in Sakura's grasp.

"Oh, sorry." Sakura told him, letting him go.

"I'm all right. How's Naruto? And those creeps in the masks? What happened to them?"

"Don't try to move! Naruto's fine, and that boy in the mask is dead.." Sasuke looked up, shocked.

"Dead?! Did Naruto? What about the other one?"

"No. I mean..I'm not sure. I didn't see it very well. But the boy died trying to protect Zabuza. And the girl is over there. I don't know what she's gonna do. But...I was afraid...I thought..." she trailed off. "Sasuke, your amazing! You survived a deathblow!"

"No..." Sasuke replied. 'Not me, him. He never planned to from the start...' he thought.

"Naruto!!" Sakura yelled. Naruto turned towards her. "It's Sasuke! He's all right!! He's alive!!"

Sasuke put his hand up to show that he was. Naruto felt more tears come to his eyes.

"I've been worrying since the fight began." Kakashi told himself. "But, Sasuke made it after all."

"Hey!" Attention was turned. "Aren't you sweethearts forgetting something?! You ninja killed our meal ticket! And now your gonna die!! The only way we can break even now, is to override the city and loot every business and home!!" The thugs charged. "Let's go!!"

"This isn't good." Kakashi said.

"Kakashi-sensei! Isn't there some technique we can use to take them all down at once?" Naruto asked.

"I'm afraid, with the lightning blade, the illusions and conjurations, for the moment I've exhausted my chakra."

The thugs got closer but were suddenly stopped by an arrow. "Stop where you are! This is our island and our home! One step further, and you'll die where you stand!!"

All the people from the village were blocking the other side of the bridge.

"Inari!!" Naruto yelled.

"Hey!" Inari greeted. "It's being a hero, you know? All that nick of time and stuff!"

"Good one kid! Mind if I join you? Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto made four clones of himself.

'I can't mange anything solid right now.' Kakashi thought. 'But a bluff should be enough for these guys.' Kakashi made an army of himself.

And to top it all off, in front of everyone was Temari. She was standing firm and sturdy. She was looking at them with that same expression Zabuza had only moments ago. Her emerald eyes staring at them.

"Never mind!! Run away!"

After that, all the thugs left as the villagers cheered. All the clones disappeared as Kakashi watched.

Temari was forcing herself to Zabuza. She dragged her wounded leg with her, not letting it slow her down. Soon her legs collapsed from under her, but she still didn't stop. She dragged her body to him, sitting up and removing the weapons. She looked up as he saw Kakashi behind her.

"Looks like...it's all over...eh, Kakashi?" Zabuza asked. "Kakashi, do me a favor?"

"What is it?" Kakashi asked.

"I want...to see his face."

Kakashi put down his hitai-ate, covering his eye. "Sure." He picked up Zabuza and carried him over with Temari hanging onto his shoulder for support as she walked with him.

Suddenly, it started to snow.

"My dear Haku...Are you crying?"

Kakashi placed him next to Haku while Temari sat beside him. "Thank you, Kakashi." He fumbled his hand up to Haku's face. "You were at my side from start to finish...And now I'm at yours. If I could...If I were able...I would want to go...to the same place...on the other side...as you." A small snowflake fell onto Haku's eye. And it ran down his face like a tear.

"You can go with him, Zabuza."

He turned his head to see Temari there beside him with a small smile on her face. "You can go with him to that place." She told him.

"Oh, Tema..." Zabuza started, looking into her eyes. "You got...your eyesight back...I'm happy for you..." He slowly brought up is opposite hand and gently rubbed her face. "Take good care of yourself...alright?"

Temari nodded as tears filled her eyes. She placed her own hand over the one on her face. She watched as his eyes slowly close.

"Zabuza..." she whispered. Everything slowly became cloudy as she felt herself drift into a steady stream of darkness. Her body started to fall backward, but was stopped by a leg.

Naruto looked down at his sister. Probably out due to blood loss. He picked her up, braking Zabuza's hand away from her cheek. He walked past Kakashi and Sakura, but Sasuke stood in his way.

"What are you going to do with her?" Sasuke asked.

"She needs to be treated, and so do you." Naruto answered sounding serious.

"Why should we treat her?"

"Because she's my sister."


	8. Chapter 8

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter eight**

Three days.

It had been three days since what happened. Three. _Long_. Days.

No one had ever seen Naruto act like this before. He was so...so serious. He hadn't eaten or slept in any of those days. He just sat quietly next to his sister, waiting for her to wake from her rest in the small bad made for her.

He just couldn't figure it out. Was Temari working for Zabuza on her own free will? Or was she a slave like Haku? But if she was forced to work for him, she wouldn't have shown those signs of affections...right? She would have been glad that he died. But if that was true, why shed tears for him?

"Man, this was frustrating." he grumbled lightly.

He gazed at his sister and the bandages on her forehead. The bandages that held the wound. The wound _he_ gave her. He still felt guilty about it. If only he knew, he wouldn't have harmed her, and she wouldn't have the risk of having a concession.

This was all his fault.

He should have set out to find her, instead of watching on the roof every night. Maybe if he did that, he would have found her before any of this could happen. Maybe...

At that moment, Temari's eyelids started to move. Naruto's eyes widened. She was waking up!

Slowly, her eyelids opened reviling her emerald eyes. She blinked a bit to focus her vision until she saw her brother looking over her.

"...Naruto?" she asked, wondering where she was. They last place she remembered being was on the bridge. How did she end up here?

Slowly, she tried to sit up but her arms grave out from under her. She expected to feel her back land back on the bed, but she never did. Looking up she saw her brother supporting her body. "Temari, please. You must rest." Naruto said softly with a bit of concern in his voice. There was a bit of a silence, Temari looking long, hard and deep into Naruto's eyes. She could see it all from him.

Concern, confusion. Anger and sorrow.

"Naruto...I..." Temari was at a loss of words. She didn't know what to say.

"Why?" Naruto started, this time with more concern in his voice. "Why, Temari? Why?"

Temari looked down at the floor. What could she say to him? How could she start? Would he understand? "Because...he was..."

"He was what?!" Naruto interrupted, his voice raising a bit. "Such a jerk that you couldn't come home!?"

"No...he..."

"Turned you into a tool! A slave!!"

"No..."

"He was just going to use you like he did-"

"That's enough!!" Temari yelled.

--

Downstairs, everyone was staring at the ceiling. Yells were being heard. The girl must have finally woken up.

Sakura looked at Kakashi who was sitting up from his pile of blankets. His shirt was off, his chest covered in bandages. "Should we...?" Sakura asked.

"No. We shouldn't interfere with their matters." Kakashi replied.

Sasuke just turned in his bed. 'What is going on?' he thought. 'Is that girl really Naruto's sister? I didn't even know he had a sibling.'

--

There was another long pause. Temari was breathing hard, upset at her brother's words. How dare he talk about Zabuza that way!! Zabuza was really a good man at heart and she knew it, but...

Naruto didn't.

He had a good reason to be upset. Looking at her brother's face, she could see tears roll off his cheeks. Her anger melted away. She slid out of his grasp, now able to support herself. Naruto's arms returned to his sides as he turned his head away from her.

"I-I don't understand Temari..." he sobbed. "Y-You were gone so long. I-I thought I would never see you again. A-And then all this h-happened."

Temari felt a sharp stab in her body. She felt disgusted with herself. She let this happen. It was all her fault.

She scooted close to her sobbing brother and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I really am." She told him as a few tears escaped her eyes as well. " I wanted to go home. Really I did. But I couldn't turn my back on them. I just couldn't."

She would understand if Naruto was still upset with her. She was upset with herself, too. She let everyone down. Haku. Zabuza. Naruto. The only thing she wished for was for Naruto to accept her apology. She didn't expect him to, but she felt hands grip her sides.

"I understand." Naruto muffled out, returning his sister's hug. "You were just doing what you had to do."

Temari felt a rush of water flow from her eyes. "Oh, Naruto!" she cried as she hugged him tighter. "Naruto!"

Naruto hugged tighter as well. He was glad to have his sister back.

--

The door was open a crack, letting eyes observe what was happening in the room. Kakashi watched the embrace, reminding him of something he read in Icha Icha paradise.

Under him was Sasuke. 'Where have I seen that face before?' he asked himself. He closed his eyes and thought for a minute.

"_Are you okay? You feel as though you have a temperature."_

'It's her!' Sasuke exclaimed to himself. 'The helper from the academy!' He thought for another minute. 'Oh, shit.'

Under Sasuke was Sakura. She had no idea what to think. No one had ever seen Naruto act like this before, but she seemed to be the most surprised. She'd never seen Naruto this emotional.

**--**

Night had finally come along with a sleeping blond. His head rested on his sister's lap as he snoozed. Temari gently stroked his hair. Kakashi had told her that Naruto hadn't gotten any sleep and her sister instincts quickly kicked in.

She stared out the round window on the wall, seeing the stars shin brightly in nighttime sky. Careful not to wake him up, Temari slid Naruto's head from her lap and onto a nice fluffy pillow. She tiptoed out of the room and headed downstairs. She quietly walked into the living room and headed to the front door, careful not to wake up anyone sleeping on the floor.

To her surprise the front door was not locked, but she exited the house anyway. She only wanted a little fresh air.

After leaving, she sucked in the cool midnight air then let it all out. It felt wonderful to have the outside back in her lungs. She looked around the now empty town but saw someone sitting on the edge of the dock.. Not making a sound she headed toward him.

--

Sasuke was at a loss. What was he to do? He found out so much in one day. It was making his head spin.

First was the fact that Naruto had a sister and that she happened to be on the side they were against. Second, she was also that chick he met at the academy. What the hell was going on? Was she with them or against them? Would she be going back to Konoha with them? And more importantly, how the hell was he going to talk to her?

He let out a heavy sigh as the cool air brushed up against his body. He wasn't wearing a shirt and he removed a few bandages from his body reviling scars. He stared up at the sky, clueless about what to do.

Suddenly, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he felt a rush of embarrassment come to his face.

There she was. The girl he was thinking about, right here beside him. And he was _shirtless_. She has to stop popping up like this.

"Hi." she said softly, giving a small smile.

"Um, hey." Sasuke replied, returning the smile with a weak one. "Um...What are you doing out here so late?"

"Just for some fresh air." Temari told him calmly, sitting down next to him. "It feels nice to be back out. What about you?"

"Just...thinking." He turned his gaze away from her, not wanting her to see his red face.

Temari noticed his head turn away from her. Did he not want to talk to her?

Her eyes wondered around his body noticing the very visible scars and scratches. There was a way for her to help him, but the question was did he want her help? She thought a bit.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was trying to think of what to say as the red faded form his face. This silence was getting to him. "Temari, was it?" he asked trying to remember.

"Yes?"

"About what happened. I'm..." He turned his head to face her, but she wasn't there. He looked around. Then the feeling of soft skin was all over his body. Looking into the water, he saw his reflection with Temari wrapped around his upper torso. The red quickly returned to his face as he mustered out, "Temari? What are you doing?"

"Ssshh." She told him with her eyes closed. "Just relax."

Sasuke tried to relax as best he could, but he just couldn't. She was on his back with her arms wrapped around him. What was she doing? He could feel her breathe collide with his neck, making his whole face red. He couldn't take much more of this...

"Relax. Take deep breaths. This won't be long."

Forcing himself to calm down, he took some deep breaths just as instructed. Slowly the world around him started to disappear and crumble away. He felt as if he was floating in darkness as something like steam rushed over and through his body. It felt so...refreshing.

Soon, Sasuke was back in reality with Temari off his back. He stared at her for a minute noticing the bandages folded in her hands. Looking down at his body he found all the scars in scratches gone, as if they were never there. "What did you do?" he asked surprised.

"Just a little something I've been working on." Temari replied to him with a smile on her face. "How do you feel? I didn't overdo it, did I?"

"No. I feel just fine. You did a good job." _'Good job? _I could have said something better than that.' Sasuke scolded himself.

Temari didn't seem to notice. "Thanks..." she trailed off.

"Sasuke." he finished for her, catching the hint that she didn't know his name. He saw a small blush peek from her cheeks.

**One week later...**

The three of them were grouped together, looking at the graves below their feet. The wind blew slightly, only shifting a few leaves.

"This man lived his life to the fullest." Kakashi slowly said as leaves passed by his face. "And now he's at rest."

"But still..." Sakura started. "Kakashi-sensei, this has been bugging me. Were those two right about what a ninja should be?"

"A ninja shouldn't be concerned with their own existence." Kakashi replied. "It is important merely that we exist as a tool for our homeland to use whenever they need. That's as true for us in Konohagakure as it is for ninja anywhere else."

"Is that really what becoming a full-fledged ninja's gonna be about?" Naruto asked. "I don't like the sound of it."

"Do you really feel that way Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, no. And that's why all we ninja live our lives with that ideal always bubbling beneath the surface of our minds, disturbing us. Like Zabuza...and the boy..."

Naruto thought for a minute. "That's it, then. My mind is made up. I'm gonna create my own nindo- my own ninja way."

Kakashi looked at him surprised but just smiled under his mask. The wind then died down as footsteps could be heard. Everyone turned to see Temari walk past them with a large sword in her hands. Cleaned from any blood. She walked around Zabuza's grave and dug the sword behind it. Kakashi waved his hands a bit, telling them to leave. Naruto stared at him for a second or two before catching up with the others.

Temari stood beside Kakashi, staring at the grave at her feet. "He wasn't bad."

"What?" Kakashi asked, a little startled by what the girl said.

"He wasn't bad. Zabuza." she said. "He really was a good man at heart. I know it." Kakashi just looked at her with a blank expression on his face. "We were going to head to the mist village, after all this was over, but when we were to get there..." she closed her eyes. "...He was going to let Haku and me go."

Kakashi didn't know what to say. That was something he didn't expect. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go home."

He turned with his hand still on Temari's shoulder as they walked away. Temari turned her head to catch a gimps of the graves for one last time, when she saw them. What looked like a faded picture of them stood on top of the graves, waving her farewell. Temari reached out with her opposite hand and waved to them as well.

"Rest in peace." she whispered as she and Kakashi walked off to meet the others.

Once reuniting with the others, Temari gripped her little brother's hand. "I love you Naruto." she told him.

"I love you, too Nee-chan." he replied.


	9. Chapter 9

Dictionary: 

Jii: old man or grandfather

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter nine**

It was peaceful moonlit night in Konoha. Homes were dark and filled with the sounds of snoozing. Taking one of his midnight strolls, the Hokage turned the corner of a building heading off into an empty park. He dragged his feet as he moved along being deep in thought.

The previous month had been a bit ruff and busy for him. First off, the chuunin exams were coming up soon and he had over a ton of paperwork to fill out before the event. Then a rouge ninja was reported to be seen fleeing the streets of Konoha. And to top it all off, Temari went missing not too long after. What was he to do?

He had sent out some of the best shinobi Konoha had to offer to find her, but each one came back empty-handed with no information on her whereabouts. He wondered if they even wanted to find her. But when he thought about it, he already knew the outcome. Though the whole village didn't know Naruto had a sister, they would still do anything to get him to leave the village, have him killed, or even have him commit...suicide.

The thought made him shudder. How could anyone think that?

He missed Temari dearly and seeing Naruto depressed all the time was killing him. He wasn't sure if anyone noticed, but behind that big smile he always had on everyday, Naruto was hurting inside. Hurting more than before. The absence of his sister was making everything more complicated then it was.

And he knew Naruto would sit on the roof every night, waiting for Temari to come home so he could forget all about her absence as if it was all a bad dream. But almost every night he would fall asleep right there on the roof leaving an image that never left the Hokage's mind. He would simply take Naruto inside his apartment and tuck him into bed before parting with him.

And then there was Temari.

He was just growing a bond with her, that blond kunoichi. She visited him regularly and even met his grandson, who became quite fond of her as well. And when she started to address him as her grandfather made his heart take to the skies.

He cared for those two as if they were his own, but being helpless to help them was eating away at his old self.

He let out a light sigh as he exited the park and headed home. He was doing his best but it didn't seem to be enough.

---

It was about mid morning when Naruto woke up. He sat up from under his blanket and stretched, feeling the sunshine soak though the tent giving it a pleasant temperature. Looking to his side, he saw his sister still sleeping peacefully. Her normal four pony-tailed hair was down and free, resting on a pillow. Her steady breathing sounded like music to her brother's ears. He really didn't want to wake her up.

Quietly, Naruto stepped out of the tent to outside. He stood up and stretched again hearing a few of his bones let out a small 'pop'. Hearing the sound of shifting beside him, the blond boy turned his head to see a reveled upper body Sasuke crawl out from his tent. He mimicked Naruto's latest actions and yawned.

'Doesn't he ever wear a shirt?' Naruto wondered as he rolled his eyes. It always seemed like he was trying to show off just to get Naruto upset.

"Mornin." Sasuke greeted him, a hand placed on his own shoulder as he rolled his head around from side to side.

"Mornin." Naruto replied, trying hard not to say anything that might start something. Whenever they argued they argued loud. And if they were going to, at least they should be a good distance away from camp so they wouldn't wake anybody who happened to still be asleep.

"I think there's a spring nearby." Sasuke mentioned. "I saw it last night. I'm gonna wash up. You coming? I'm sure Kakashi won't mind."

Naruto nodded his head as response. Being as quiet as he possibly could for a second time, he snook back into the tent to retrieve a change of clothes before heading off. His movements suddenly stopped as Temari stirred in her sleep, a troubled expression on her face as her body appeared tense. Her body slowly relaxed after a few seconds giving her brother the opportunity to leave.

'If I stay any longer, I might wake her.' he thought as he and Sasuke headed off.

---

_Tiny feet pattered in the darkness. Heavy breathing echoed in the nothingness as tears fell into infinity. Running for dear life, a little girl kept going away from whatever was after her. _

"_**Don't run away."**__ came a evil evading voice with death sliding off its tongue. __**"It will only make things difficult for the both of us."**_

_The dark seemed to close in on the girl as she was unable to run anymore. It felt like claws digging into her skin, drawing her blood that were licked away from existence. She let out a terrified scream as she struggled in the grasp._

"_**Calm yourself my dear."**__ the voice said as the girl watched as a swirl of darkness started in front of her. __**"I just need your help...to prove my existence."**_

_The form of a monster stood before her, at least ten times her size. His body was shaped like it was made of sand that dripped off in infinity. On it's shoulder was a little red head boy, dark shades around his eyes, that was smirking down at her. His lips moved to form one word that activated it all._

_**Kill.**_

_The girl screamed._

_---_

"Temari!! Come on, wake up!! Wake up!!"

Kakashi shook the sleeping girl. Her body was drenched in sweat and her breathing was heavy. He had been trying to wake the girl for almost fifteen minutes now, but she just wouldn't open her eyes. Her body just moved forward and back with his hands as if it were lifeless.

"Temari!!"

Her eyes shot open as a petrified scream started to roar from her throat. With her palm, she smacked Kakashi away from her, her body dropping to the ground. She covered her eyes and curled up into a ball. After a few minutes she opened her eyes to check her surroundings seeing her brother's sensei staring at her, a hand on his cheek.

"Kakashi!" she cried. "Where is it? What happened?"

"Where's what?" he asked crawling beside her shaking body.

"That monster...it...it was going to kill that little girl!" she cried breathlessly.

"Just calm down." Kakashi instructed her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down. There's nothing here."

Temari started to steady her breathing as she stopped shaking. "Now, what happened?" Kakashi finally asked.

"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure..."

---

Naruto's head bobbed up to the surface as he let the oxygen out from his lungs. The water felt nice and all but something just didn't feel right to him at that moment. Something was bugging him.

"Hey Sasuke. I have a question." he started.

"What?" Sasuke answered as he rubbed his hands through his wet hair. With it down and wet like it was, he didn't even look like himself anymore.

"I was just wondering, but what do you do when you get the feeling that something is about to happen?" Naruto asked staring up at the sky.

"Umm..depends. Why?" Sasuke answered dully, uninterested in where the conversation was going.

"I dunno. It's just that there's this tiny feeling in the back of head telling that something is about to happen..."

"Well then just ignore it if your not sure then." Sasuke scuffed with a small hint of smartness in is voice. He saw Naruto quickly turn his head from the sky and into the water, his face filled with what looked like regret and sorrow. "What's wrong, now?"

"Just ignore it? I'm not sure if I can do that...again..." Naruto answered not making eye contact with Sasuke at all.

"What do you mean by 'again'?" Sasuke asked with a bit of curiosity starting to form.

"The first time...I was only seven...I got that feeling in the day...shrugged it off...but..." Naruto said slowly as it came to him. "...but.."

"But?" Sasuke pursued.

"...it was dark...she never came...went to look for her...she was there...but I thought she was gone..." Naruto's head shook a bit as he still remembered that image. "...forever..."

Blood everywhere. A full moon out. Her body lying there, not moving. Mouth open in a cry. Red liquid oozing from the newly formed cut on her arm along with others. His terrified scream.

He turned his head. "No. I won't ignore it, not this time. I won't let it happen again." he said firmly.

"Let what happen again?" Sasuke asked. This boy was so confusing sometimes...

"It's noting. I'm just thinking out loud." Naruto told his teammate, returning to his normal mood..

---

"Maybe you just need to be home. I mean, you have been away for a long period of time. It could help. So much has happened in the past month for you." Sakura suggested to Temari, to two in her tent. She was woken by Temari's outburst and went to investigate. Kakashi had explained what happened, following up to leaving the tent letting the two females be alone.

"I don't know, Sakura. You could be right." Temari told her, rolling up the sleeping bag. "Maybe that's all I need to be home. I could see Jii again."

"See? You have something to look forward to." Sakura told her with a smile that soon faded as a question popped into her mind. "Temari?"

"Yes?" she answered looking up.

"I didn't know you had a grandfather."

"Well, I call him that, though we're not really related by blood, but I don't care." Temari started, a small smile creeping out on her lips. "He's very important to me and let Naruto and I join his family. He's always there when I need him, when we need him."

"That sounds great, Temari. I'm happy for the both of you. As for me, I really don't want to go home."

"Why is that?"

"My chores have probably piled up and my mom's going to jump on me to get it done." Sakura explained. There was a small silence. Then the two burst out in joyful laughter as if nothing had happened at all.

Soon the boys had returned, filled with cluelessness as they watched the girls whisper and giggle like little girls on a playground. They both walked off happily to wash up, leaving the guys alone yet again. Once everyone was nice and clean, they could head for home in Konoha, maybe being able to get there a little after dark.

--(A little after dark)--

A pen fumbled between fingers on top of a document. The Hokage stared blankly at the work in front of him, not focusing on it at all. His mind had been tied too tight and now he thought it was finally melting. After all this time.

He glanced out one of his windows to see a newly formed nighttime sky. The sun had just disappeared only a few moments ago and it was already becoming dark.

'Maybe an early walk will help.' He thought to himself, leaving his desk for the door. His feet dragged all the way down to the grand floor as he felt his mind cried out in pain as he attempted to get his thoughts together.

Outside, he watched as shops started close up for the night and children run home before it got too dark. He waved to the villagers, giving them a fake smile when they waved to him but only sighed when their backs were turned.

He walked on as he felt the wind pick up a little but then shrugged it off. "If only...it only I could hear her voice again.." He said to no one in particular. "Just this once..." He let out another sigh. Now he was talking to himself. This was starting to get out of hand...

"Jii! Jii!" came a faint voice behind him.

His head didn't even turn around when that sound met his ears. Now he was hearing things, too. He wondered if this was because of his off-track mind or his old age. He really couldn't tell anymore.

His ears twitched as he heard the sound grow stronger. 'Maybe I am losing it...' he thought.

"Jii!! Jii!! Hey!! It's me!!"

'Maybe I should turn around. Just to see what kind of hallucination I'm up against.' he told himself, stopping his walk. He turned around thinking he'd see what looked like a faded version of her, but his eyes widened at what was coming at him.

...a female...hair in four odd ponytails...that sweet voice...

"Jii!!" Temari cried as she ran up to the old man, embracing him in a tight hug. "Oh Jii, I'm so sorry!!"

It took him a minute to realize this was no hallucination, it was her.

His beloved Temari.

She was home at last.

He wrapped his old arms around her body as tight as he could as if he wasn't ever going to let go. "Temari! My dear Temari!! Your finally back!!" he said as he felt some water come to his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Jii." she said again. "I'm sorry I made you worry so much."

"Shh. It's alright. It's alright. You're here and that's all that matters." he told her with a happy smile forming on his lips. "That's all that matters."

* * *

Hey everyone, it'sme. I'm SO sorry it took so long to update. With all the work and the school and life running around wild I thought I'd never finish this stupid chapter, but I did! Sorry also that this chapter was too short, like the previous one. I just wanted to get this done ASAP so I could move on to what everyone is waiting for. Oh, and one more thing. I might leave a little bit of spoilers at the end of a few chapters for future events. I am telling you now that there will be a BIG twist after the chunnin exams are all finished. Until then, see you! 


	10. Chapter 10

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter ten**

_A tiny hand reached up and grabbed a doorknob_._ Slowly it started to turn until it couldn't turn any more. The door was pushed open as a little girl stepped inside a pure white room. She looked around as she saw eyes of the medics drift to her. They stared her down as if to push her out of the room as she stepped forward._

_She came to a semi circle around something but couldn't make it out. She tugged on one of the white coats that was worn__as if telling it to move. When the person didn't budge she squeezed her little body through the giant legs around her. She pushed herself to the other side landing face first on the floor. She looked up to see something that made her eyes widen in horror._

_In front of her was deep red puddle of blood. Using her arms, the girl pushed herself back as far as she could from the liquid, her back hitting the bodies behind her. Her eyes followed the puddle to a trail that lead to a black clothed figure. He turned to her, a bundle in his arms and a smirk on his face. Stretching out his arms, the bundle rolled out, revealing what was in it went as it went. A small red haired child sat only a few feet away from the girl._

_It used it's hands to climb to it's feet as it started walking over. With each step it seemed to enter a different phase of life._

_Baby...toddler...kid...teen..._

_Standing in front of her, it's hand reached out, sand crawling around the petrified_ _girl and surrounding her body. She tried to get up but found she had no space to do so. She watched as the sand closed in around her face, cutting off her air supply..._

_---_

"Nooo!"

Temari shot up in her bed, breathing heavily. Her body was coated with a layer of sweat as she placed a hand on her forehead.

'It was only a dream.' she thought. 'Only a dream.'

She glanced over at the clock on her bedside table. Three. She let her body fall back onto her mattress. This was the third time she was awoken by a nightmare since the night began. She let out a sigh.

'Maybe a bath will help.'

Throwing off the bed sheets, Temari slid off her bed and headed for the bathroom. Her ears perked to the sound of snoring coming from another room. A small smile crept onto her lips as she entered quietly to her destination and closed the door. She turned the water on, putting the hot water on full without turning on the other faucet. The small room filled with steam, the mirror fogging up as she striped her clothes off and received a wash cloth.

Turning off the water she dipped her hand in the steaming tub feeling the sensation that danced through her fingers. Slowly she dipped herself into the rather large tub, not wanting to spill any water onto the floor.

She lowered her head into the water, her face the only part not exposed to the liquid. Her cheeks were tickled by the ends of her hair that floated about. She watched as the steam from her bath drifted off into the ceiling with her mind.

"What's happening to me?" she asked to herself aloud. "What're these nightmares about? Am I being haunted?"

Closing her eyes, Temari let her memory run free of all that had in that past month. She became a village run out, was found and trained by a whole different ninja (not related to Konoha in any way), found a place where she was accepted for being her with a new family that cared about her. And that was all put to rest when she finally cleared the misunderstanding up with her little brother.

What could it be?

She squeezed her eyes tighter. 'Think deeper. Think deeper.' she told herself, not finding an answer in what was just reviewed. 'Think, Temari. Think.'

Her mind was pitch black as nothing came to her mind.

'Oh well.' she thought as she grabbed the soap and started to lather her body. She didn't want to dwell on it too much though it was troubling her all at the same time. If she thought about it too much who knew what would happen. Besides, she was suppose to be relaxing.

But these nightmares weren't making it easy.

She rinsed off herself and pulled the plug on the drain. The sound of the water running down the drain filled the bathroom as Temari reached for a towel. While she dried herself off she noticed her skin was puffy and red.

'Maybe I used too much hot water.' She thought as she dried her hair. Wrapping the towel around her somewhat damp body she headed for the door, walking past the mirror. Grabbing the doorknob an image of a small hand doing the same motion entered her mind. She pulled her hand away as she closed her eyes and placed one on her forehead.

'I just need to relax.' She told herself. 'I just need to relax.'

Removing her hand she opened her eyes and took a quick glance in a the foggy mirror. Her eyes slowly trailed back to it as they began to widen. Under that coat of fogginess she could see a reflection, but it wasn't her.

Using her hand to wipe it away she saw a beautiful woman staring back at her. Blond hair and a soft smile that resembled Temari's face. Her purple eyes looked deep at Temari as if she was expecting to see her. Temari's eyes widened after she blinked to find that the image was transformed into what looked like her final moments.

Her mouth was open as if in a yell. An angered yell.

Temari blinked again only to find her own reflection in the mirror. She reached with her hand and slid it down the mirror as if it was a portal to another world.

'That woman...' Temari started to think. '...She looked just like me.'

---

"I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

Temari stood at the door of the apartment, sending off Naruto to his training. She would be leaving soon, as well, heading off to the Hokage's building.

Naruto cocked his head to one side as he stared at his sister. Though they weren't very visible, he could see black lines forming under her eyes. Did she get enough sleep last night?

"Are you sure you're going to be alright, Temari?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, yes. I promise you I'll be fine." Temari assured her brother. "Now hurry up, before your late."

"Like that's gonna happen!" Naruto yelled as he started to run off to the training grounds. "See ya later, Nee-chan!" Temari waved, a smile on her face.

As soon as her brother was out of sight in the distance she closed the door and headed off in the opposite direction. Her mind was deep in thought, wondering what was happening to her body.

All those visions. So many faces. What looked like faded, unfinished memories.

Temari wanted answers, but she didn't know how to find them. And she didn't want to talk to anyone about this either. They just wouldn't understand.

She stopped for a minute, placing her hand on a wall and leaning on it. Looking up at the new morning sky she let out a sigh.

'I wish you didn't leave.' she thought.

---

The Hokage watched his granddaughter as she ran all over his office, straightening this and fixing that. He didn't realize how unorganized he was after Temari left until now. He took a sip of his morning tea while papers were neatly stacked on his desk.

"There." Temari said with a smile. "And don't forget, you have a meeting this morning after you finish discussing how the first half of the chuunin exams are going to go." she reminded him as she flipped through her clipboard. " And these papers have to be read and signed before the discussion. And..."

He listened to her ramble on as he took another sip of his tea. He always found it amazing how she was able to keep up with things like this but it always worked to his advantage. He never turned in anything late or was ever late for a meeting when she was around. His little daily planner.

"-And this, all done after lunch." Temari finished as she placed another stack of papers on the desk.

"Thank you, Temari. Your always a big help." the Hokage told the blond in front of him.

"It's no trouble, Jii. I'm just doing what I can." she told him. "Oh, and I have to run these down to the academy real quick. Will you be alright while I'm gone?" She held up a small group of papers.

"Yes, I'll be fine. You go on ahead." the Hokage assured her.

"Alright. See you when I get back." She walked off, exiting through the door and heading downstairs.

Once outside, she happily started off toward the academy, herself in a good mood. She seemed to bounce a little as she walked, her mind not even remembering what she was so worried about earlier. She rounded another corner only to collide with someone her papers flying in the air.

"The papers!" she cried as she scattered to her feet collecting the papers before they hit the ground.

"Allow me to assist you!" the person told her. Temari watched as a blur was running all around her, gathering the papers faster than she had. After a few seconds the papers were all back in the pile.

"Thank you for helping me." Temari told her helper. "And I'm sorry for bumping into you."

"No, it was my fault and I'm sorry."

Temari's eyebrow slowly raised as she got a better look of the person. A boy with black bowl-cut hair wearing a green spandex jumpsuit topped off with a hiate-ate tied around his waist being only a little taller than herself.

"Are you alright, Miss?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you?"

"As fine as ever. Fine and youthful!!" he replied to her. Temari sweat-dropped. Who was this guy? "Where are you off to on this youthful morning?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm off to deliver these to the academy." Temari told him.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" the guy asked.

"Not at all." Temari replied, trying her best to give a friendly smile. "I'm Temari."

"And I am Rock Lee. The Handsome Blue Beast of Konoha!"

---

"So you're going to be entering the chuunin exam?"

"Yes. My cell and I have been preparing for this event for a long time now."

The two had walked in silence since their encounter until Lee finally decided to end it. Despite his appearance, Temari thought he was interesting to talk to. He seemed like he was always in a bright and cheery mood. She had never met anyone like that before. She liked it.

"Are you a shinobi by any chance?" Lee asked her as they walked.

"Yes I am." Temari replied. She forgot that she didn't put on her hiate-ate before she left. "And I also help around in the Hokage's office."

"So, you have already taken the exam, I assume?"

"Well..." Temari started but her mind started to drift off. "...no."

"No? Your still a Genin, then?" Lee asked trying to clear up everything.

"Not exactly...Let's just say that I don't pay much attention to the ranking system." Temari told him.

"Why is that?" he asked getting a little confused.

"My teacher...my sensei, he didn't pay much to the system either. He told me it was pointless and was only there to help weaklings see where they were. But I disagreed on that." Temari thought for a minute. Why was she telling these personal details to a guy she just met?

"But if I had to say, I'd probably be between a chûnin and Jônin."

"Oh." Lee responded trying not to let the blond know he was still confused. The two approached the academy. They watched as children poured into it, heading off to their home rooms.

"Well, here we are." Temari said turning to Lee.

"Yes. That was a nice morning walk. I guess I should be heading off to the training grounds to meet my team." Lee told her.

Temari looked a little disappointed. "Alright." she agreed. "I hope to see you again sometime."

"We shall." Lee said giving her a smile and a thumbs up before heading off.

"Good luck with you training!" she called to his back.

"Same to you!" she heard him call back. "Farewell! And stay youthful!!" Soon, he disappeared in the distance.

'I hope I see him again.' Temari told herself as she went inside the building. 'He's really nice and good to talk to."

---

The morning seemed to fly by after Temari returned from the academy. She was scrambling from place to place. Copying this, delivering that, but she didn't seem to mind. It kept her mind busy. She entered her grandfather's office, handing him a few papers and scrolls.

"Your second meeting is going to start soon, Jii. Is there anything else you need?" Temari asked.

"No, dear. I think that's everything." the Hokage told her, standing up at his desk. "You can go on and leave for today."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that." Temari told the old man.

"Don't worry. I think I'll be in that meeting will last longer than you think. Besides, you done so much already." he insisted, going to the other side of his desk and placing his arm around his granddaughter. He led her to the door.

"Well, if you insist, Jii." Temari said.

"Go on. I'll see you later." he said to her. He planted a small kiss on her forehead.

"Bye, Jii."

She gave him a hug and went on her way down the hall. She took a glance at one of the clocks. 'Naruto should be on his way home by now.' She thought. 'I'll go meet him.'

---

"If your so sick of being in my debt, why don't you get **better** than me?"

Naruto glared Sasuke down as there was silence between his cell and sensei.

'I don't know what happened.' Sakura thought. 'But it seems like their on worst terms than before.'

'I hate this.' Sasuke told himself, not taking his glare off Naruto. 'There are guys out there who could be challenging me, but I'm stuck doing pointless assignments with this twerp.'

_Skree Skree_

Kakashi looked up from his book. He watched as a strange bird flew by them high in the sky. He didn't even notice Naruto stick his middle finger up at the Uchiha.

"Alright." he started to his team. "We'll call it a day right now. I've got to go hand in my report on today's mission."

"Then I'm going home." Sasuke said as he started to walk off.

"Hey Sasuke! Wait up!" Sakura called to him. "I was wondering if... you know...you and I... just the two of us...could work together on our _teamwork_?"

"Your just as bad as Naruto." Sasuke told her. "Why are you always wasting your time flirting when you should be practicing?"

Sakura felt a heavy load hit her. 'I am **NOT** like Naruto.' she thought.

"Even his skills are better than yours." Sasuke continued.

The load got heavier. 'I'm **WORSE** than Naruto?! NO WAY!!'

Sasuke turned back around and started walking home again.

'He's right...' Sakura thought, her mind in the gutter. 'It doesn't matter what our mission is. They're all the same to me. I'm always the weakest...the one with on special talents...'

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto called. "Forget Sasuke. You and I can train together!!"

Kakashi just disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

'Where did Kakashi go?' Naruto wondered. 'Is he giving us some alone time? Doesn't matter!! There's only one thing ahead of me and that's training!!'

Getting the feeling that he was being watched, Naruto turned around to see some kind of rock behind him. He took a few steps forward, watching from the corners of his eyes, that rock was following him.

"Ah-Ha!! Got you rock!!" Naruto yelled, pointing ti the object behind him. "Little hint, no rock has perfect angles, perfect corners, and eye holes!! Kind of a big clue!!"

The rock shuffled a bit, but then lifted. Three kids crawled out. "Leave it to the man I acknowledged as being my equal!" Replied one of them, a long scarf tied around his neck and goggles on his forehead like his friends. "Your skills rival my own!!"

"Oh." Naruto said to them. He put his hands behind his head. "Hey Konohamaru. What are you guys doing here? And what's with the goggles?"

"Well, your our idol! We're copying that old style you used to wear." Konohamaru told Naruto.

"Righhhht." Naruto dragged out.

"What do you mean 'right'? Suddenly too cool for school, boss?"

"What do you guys want from me?" Naruto asked.

"We'll show you!!" the little girl said. "Come play with us, boss!!"

"Nope, sorry! I have to train!" Naruto exclaimed.

"But you promised to play Ninja with us!!" the three children cried.

"Oh, was that today?" Naruto asked. 'Crap. If I play with them, even a little, they'll waste the whole day!'

"So..." started the pink haired kunoichi to her blond teammate. "What is a ninja doing 'Playing Ninja', hmm?"

Konohamaru took a good look at Sakura. "Hey, Boss, who's the babe?" He took another look at her and got his idea.

"Hey Boss, with how you are and all, I can tell..."

"Huh?" Naruto replied.

"I can tell you and she are...you know...right?" He stuck up is pinky finger and gave a light pat on Naruto's back.

Naruto blushed a little. "You know, for little guys, you catch on quick."

"WRONG!!!" Sakura yelled, beaming Naruto in the face causing him to fly into the fence with a loud 'thud'.

"Boss!!" Konohamaru yelled. He ran over to help him. "What did you do that for?! You Hag!!"

Sakura cracked her knuckles. 'Let me at 'em!!!' her inner self yelled inside.

---

Temari followed her ears to the sound of pain being brought upon someone. She turned a corner to see Sakura storming away from a small group. She tilted her head a bit to see a mess of blond hair pounded into the ground. 'He did it again.' she thought with a small smile on her face. She headed over to the group.

"Naruto!" she called when she got close enough. Her brother looked up to see her.

"Oh, hey Temari. Your -ow- early today." He rubbed his face.

"Temari-chan!!" Naruto watched Konohamaru run up to the other blond as he embraced her. "Temari-chan! How are you?"

"Hello Konohamaru. I'm fine, thanks." Temari replied gently as she patted his head. She waved to the other children and they waved back. "How are you guys?"

"Awful!" Konohamaru answered. "We were just attacked by a broad-browed, firebreathing hag!!"

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly turned around, an angry expression on her face. She charged at them, causing Konohamaru to run out of Temari's grasp with the others behind him. Sakura ran right past Temari who started after her.

The chase lasted awhile until Konohamaru collied with someone. He looked up getting a clear view of who he ran into.

Older than him. Tall wearing a black outfit. Purple markings all over his face. A pointed hat that made it look like he had cat ears. Some large bandaged thing on his back.

"Hey!" he said in a deep, yet frightening voice. Konohamaru cowered as he was picked up.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto yelled.

"That hurt, punk." the stranger said with a smirk.

"Oh, please." started a red haired female beside him. She wore what looked like a hat that covered her head and a very low-cut outfit. Light colored clothing covered her shoulders, traveling down over her breasts, but still giving a good insight of them. The outfit stopped at her mid-thigh. It seemed snug on her body with fishnet under it. "Knock it off. He isn't even worth it."

"It was my fault." Sakura told them. "I was fooling around." The girl shot her a dirty glare. 'Who are these people?' she wondered.

"Put him down you big JERK!!" Naruto yelled.

The stranger glimpsed at Naruto's hiate-ate. 'These must be Konoha Genin ninja.' he thought. "I just want to play with him a little...while we're waiting for the nuisance to get here." he said.

Naruto broke out in a run towards them. "YOU SON OF A-" The boy in black moved one of his fingers, causing Naruto to stumble backward. "What the heck was that?!"

"What a wimp." the stranger said. "Is this the best Konoha's Genin can do?!"

'They're foreigners.' Sakura concluded. 'But, why are they here?'

Konohamaru trembled as he felt the fist under his chin through his scarf. "Hey! You in the black pig suit!" Naruto called out. "Release him now and I'll go easy on you!!"

'IDIOT!' Sakura called out in her mind as she pulled Naruto back. 'You want him to kick your uranus?!?'

"Your starting to annoy me." the stranger told the group, a smirk still on his face. "First off, I'm allergic to 'shrimp'. Bad enough that you're a short little kid...you're disrespecting your elders. You make me want to kill him!"

The group gasped.

The female let out a sigh. "I will not be held responsible for this, you know."

'This is not good!'Sakura thought.

The stranger cracked his knuckles. "I'll finish with this tiny shrimp and move on to the Jumbo one over there." He brought his fist back and shot it forward, his aim right on Konohamaru's face.

"Konohamaru!!"Naruto yelled. There was a blur and the stranger's fist...stopped.

"Put. Him. Down. **Now**."

The stranger felt a strong grip around his fist. He couldn't move it.

"I said put him **down**."

Turning his head, the stranger saw a blond, four pony-tailed girl, tightening her hand around his fist. If any tighter, she would break it, but that wasn't what he was surprised about. He dropped Konohamaru who ran behind Naruto. Temari didn't loosen her grip on the fist.

"Y-Your alive!" the stranger said to her. He turned to face her causing her to let go of him.

"I don't know what your talking about, but no one treats my friends like that." Temari told him. Her voice dark and her eyes in a death glare. "Not while I'm here."

"Temari! Don't you remember me?"

"I said I- wait, how do you know my name?"

"Temari." he started as he grabbed her shoulders and stared deep into her emerald eyes. "I'm your brother."


	11. Chapter 11

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter eleven**

"Excuse me?"

"I'm your brother."

Temari blinked her eyes repeatedly. Who was this guy? What was he saying? Him? _Her_ brother? She didn't even know his name, let alone be related to him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she blinked her eyes more. "I've never seen or met you before."

"But Temari!" the stranger yelled as he pulled her in a little close to him. His voice sounded distressed. "Don't you remember me? I'm Kankuro, your little brother. We used to play together and train and everything! Please Temari-"

"Stop saying my name!" Temari interrupted while pulling out from the guy's grasp. "I don't know who you are or why your telling me these lies."

"I'm not lying!! Temari, why won't you remember?! Why don't you remember me?!" He reached out and grabbed her wrist, locking down and holding tight.

"Hey!! Let go of me!!" Temari yelled. She tried to pull away, but his grip was stronger. She wished she had a kunai or maybe another weapon to pry this guy off of her. "I said let go!!"

"Temari, Please!! Why won't you listen?!"

_Thawp!!_

Temari was released, stumbling forward a bit. 'Kankuro' pulled his hand away, gripping his wrist.

"The hell..?!" he yelled as he looked around.

A voice came from above. Everyone looked to see a certain spiked hair Uchiha sitting on a tree branch joggling rocks with one hand.

"Tell me." he started."Why didn't you let go when the lady asked?"

"Sasuke!!" Sakura yelled.

"Look at that." Kankuro said. "Another brat."

"Get lost." Sasuke told him.

"Ooo, how cool!!" Sakura gawked as Naruto seemed to melt behind her.

"Come down, little squirrel." Kankuro said as he smirked. "Think your pretty smart, don't you? Well, why don't you come down and I'll show you what happens when you mess with our family business." He removed the bandaged object from his back.

"I'm not gonna be held responsible." the red-haired girl said with a sigh. "Your always causing problems."

"Whatever, Tayuya. I don't care!!" He was ready to launch attack.

"Wait, Kankuro."

Sasuke was startled by a light, yet a little raspy, voice coming from behind him. He and the others turned to see who the voice belonged to.

Standing upside-down from a tree branch was a boy. From the look of his clothes, everyone could tell he was a foreigner as well as the other two. A type of gourd was tightly snug on his back, the ends of the straps hanging downward. His mess of neat red hair hung as well.

"You're a disgrace to our village." he said to Kankuro, his eyes locking on him.

"G-Gaara..."Kankuro managed to muffle out.

'He snuck up beside me.' Sasuke thought with a small smirk. 'I didn't even notice him. His stealth rivals Kakashi's.'

"It annoys me," he continued "That you'd lose control in a quarrel with children. Have you forgotten why we came here?"

"But Gaara, it's not my fault. They-"

"Shut up." Gaara interrupted. "Or I'll kill you."

A shiver went down Kankuro's spine as he saw Gaara glare at him. "Your right." Kankuro agreed, changing his mind quickly. "I was out of line."

"We're...sorry, Gaara." The female, Tayuya, said in a 'whatever' voice. "Really, really sorry."

'So, he's in charge?' Sasuke thought. 'He glares like a basilisk.'

"I apologize about my friends." Gaara said turning his head to Sasuke. 'This one nailed Kankuro with a rock. That took skill.' he though as he disappeared to the ground next to his comrades. "I know we're a little early, but we didn't come here to play around."

"Yes, Gaara." Kankuro told him. "I swear it won't happen again."

"Good. Let's go." They all turned to leave but was stopped by one.

"Wait!" Sakura called out.

"Yes?" Gaara replied to her.

"According to your headbands, you three come from the Village Hidden in the Sand. Your country is one of Konoha's allies. But according to our treaty, your ninja aren't permitted to cross the border without authorization. State your business! We can't let you just go on your marry way."

"Heh. Weren't you informed?" Tayuya asked holding up her passport. "As you guessed, we're junior-level ninja from th Hidden Sand Village. We're her to take the Chûnin Selection Exam."

"Chûnin Exam? What's that?" Naruto asked,

Tayuya sighed and crossed her arms. "You really don't know? Junior ninja are sent from the Hidden Sand Village and the minor lands between our home and yours to compete against Konoha's own candidates."

"But...why test us all together?"

"Mainly to maintain ths skill of all the shinobi at the same high level of excellence. Also to foster friendship and understanding between ninja. And, of course, to maintain the balance of power between the land themselves." Tayuya finished.

"Hey Konohamaru, maybe I should enter this Chûnin Exam thing, too, huh?" Naruto asked his little friend, not paying attention to the finished speech.

"Hey!! Listen, you brat!" Tayuya yelled annoyed. "When you ask someone a question it's considered good manners to listen to their entire answer!"

"Hey!" Sasuke called, appearing in front of Temari as if to guard her. He was a little too close to her for Naruto's comfort. "What's your name?"

"Who? Me?" Tayuya asked.

"No. I was talking to the spook beside you."

The male red head stepped forward, making eye contact with Sasuke. "...Gaara of the desert. At your service."

'That name.' Temari thought. 'Sounds so...familiar.' She watched as Gaara's eyes seemed to trial over to her. She got a good look at him as he did of her. That red tattoo on his forehead stuck out to her. She stared at it for what felt like forever. She clung to the back of Sasuke's shirt, siding behind him. She didn't like the way she was being looked at.

"And you are?" Gaara asked.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

A wind blew between the two, leaves floating in the gap of silence.

"Hey!! Hey!!" Naruto interrupted. "Don't you want to know my name?!"

Gaara and his team turned away. "I couldn't care less." After that, they were gone.

'That boy... where have I seen him before?' Temari wondered. 'Where? Where? Where?'

Then the images flashed into her mind. All those nightmares. That one face. He was the one. The one that always made her wake with heartache. Her hands started to shake from the memory.

She let go of Sasuke's shirt and placed a hand on her head. She was so confused. Her mind was spinning. She needed some time to thinnk.

She called to her brother. "Naruto, I'll meet you at home, okay? I ,uh, need to check something."

Naruto tilted his head a bit. He had a feeling something was wrong. "Well...I...alright." he stumbled out to her as she turned her back and walked ahead a bit. "Be careful." slipped from his mouth. Temari turned her head a bit to see everyone then disappeared with the wind.

--

"What the hell was that all about?!" an angered red headed female yelled once the three were safe in a hotel room. Her voice seemed to echo through the empty walls and exit outside that was now lit up by the moon. "I just wanted to get to the hotel room without a problem but of course you have to be the_ idiot_ to start something!! You _always_ do!!"

"Tayuya, stop yelling." Kankuro said to her. His chin was resting in his palm as he stared out the window into the black sky. "You have no idea what's going on."

"Yes, I do!!" Tayuya spat, not lowering her voice one bit. "I know you were being delirious!"

"I was not being delirious." the boy muffled into his palm. That had to be his sister. She had the same look, the same name, the same hair style, voice, the same everything. It _had_ to be her. Unlike his father, he knew his older sister was alive somewhere. He _knew_ she had survived that horrid night. She was alive and well but...

"She just didn't remember me." he said out loud.

He was shot a glare. "Just didn't remember you? Just didn't remember you!! What is wrong with you?! She's dead! Dead! Dead! Dead!"

"You don't know anything!!" Kankuro yelled. "You only believe what my father told you!! Temari is not dead! And seeing her today should be proof to you!!"

"Proof?? She doesn't even know who you are!! How do you explain that, Sherlock!?"

"She just...just..." he let out a heavy, depressed sigh as he thought more logically. Maybe Tayuya was right. Maybe he was being delirious or that girl could have been just a look-alike. But all those couldn't have been coincidences...could they? "...just didn't remember."

Tayuya turned her back to him and walked off down the hall. "Right." was all that came from her lips before she left.

Depressed, yet again, Kankuro headed down the same hall to his room. Turning the handle he entered the small box and seated himself on the bed. He reached for his backpack on the edge and stuck his hand inside. He fished around in it for a minute, then pulled out a picture frame. He took a long look at the picture inside, his thumb on the glass.

"It has to be her." he said quietly.

--

Temari was slowly walking down the empty street to the apartment she shared with her brother. She really didn't want to go home. Not like this. Her mind was too scrambled and all the pieces weren't fitting together. Those two faces. She had seen them before somewhere. Somewhere...

Her ears heard a twig snap. Her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest and her breathing was slowly increasing. What if it was the boy from that afternoon? Could she fend herself in this state of mind? She quickened her pace as her body gave a slight shiver. Now she wanted to be home.

She felt the presences of another getting closer...closer...

Temari let out a startled scream as she felt pressure on her shoulders. Turning around rather quickly, she almost lost her balance as a familiar face appeared before her.

"Sasuke?" She wondered as a bit of relief overcame her tensed body. "What are you doing out here so late? You should be home."

"So should you." he replied to the frightened kunoichi. "I thought you'd be home by now. Your brother's probably waiting for you."

Temari let out a sigh. "I am on my way home. I just needed to do something was all."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay? You look a little tense. Did something happen?"

"No." she said quickly. She couldn't tell him. She didn't want to pull him into anything.

Though he wasn't that smart when it came to members of the opposite sex, Sasuke could tell Temari was lying to him. She didn't seem like herself. She seemed more frightened of something. The way she reacted when he tapped her, she was more than startled. Something was wrong. Was it about what happened earlier that afternoon? Or was she just jumpy? Either way, he tried to comfort her the best way he could.

"Would you like me to walk you home?"

Temari was a little surprised by his question, but when she thought about it she might feel safer with someone else around. At least she wouldn't be alone.

"I would like that." she told him.

The twosome started walking together, an awkward silence between them. Sasuke felt a bit uncomfortable with it being so quiet. He was use to the noise from his teammates and not the silence that was surrounding them. He felt himself lose feeling of his arm as it started to act on its own. It traveled up the blond's back and to her shoulders where it rested itself. His body tensed as he wondered how she was going to react. If it was Sakura she would be overjoyed with his arm around her, but Temari was different.

Temari felt a sudden touch around her shoulders. She knew it was Sasuke. She walked a little closer to him as she felt her body relax. For some reason, she felt safe around him. She smiled as an image of an old friend popped into her head. He was the only other person to put his arm around her. She blushed a bit as she leaned her head on his shoulders.

Sasuke felt like he was luckiest guy in the world. She didn't pull away or shrug his arm off. Instead she got closer and leaned on him. He could feel strands of her hair rubbing up against his cheek. He let air escape through his nose as he kept his posture though he was hollering inside.

--

The black of night surrounded all while the stars shined their lights from above. A moon stared down at all the buildings below, a speck of red sitting on a roof. It was reveled to be a boy, his mind drifting from subject to subject.

He remembered the girl from earlier that day. The one that caused his brother to lose his head. She seemed so...familiar. Was it possible that she was...?

"No." the boy said to himself. "It can't be her. She died. Just like the others." he assured himself as he closed his eyes. But all he could see was her face. All he could hear was her voice. "It can't be her." he mentioned to quietly again. His words were soon lost from his mind as it reverted back years ago...

_His anger. Her scream. That death._

The boy yelled into the night as the event played over and over in his head. His sister. She was the only one who cared about him. The only one that was there to dry his tears when he cried. The only one that would comfort him though he was monster. She was the only one...the only one! And she was gone!

He couldn't take it.

Standing up he launched himself into the night in search for that girl. He had to see her one more time. To make it all clear up. To make it all go away. For some reason he just couldn't stop thinking about her.

--

"Thank you for walking me home." Temari told her partner as she unlocked the front door to the apartment she shared with her brother.

"No problem." Sasuke replied giving her one of his rare small smiles. "It was my pleasure."

The blond smiled as well, the door opening in front of her and she stepped in. "Well, good-night, Sasuke. Be careful on your way home."

"I'll be fine. Night." He watched her close the door and even after he heard the click, he stood there for an extra minute. He sighed lightly, the smile still on his face as he left unaware that he was being observed as he left.

--

Temari loosened her obi as she walked down the halls to see a light source flow out of a doorway. Peeking her head inside, she saw her little brother asleep in front of the window. Shaking her head a bit with a soft smile she entered the small space and gently moved Naruto to his bed.

His eyes shifted a few times before they opened halfway to reveal his sister. "Nee-chan...your home." he said drowsily.

"Yes. I can see you waited for me." Temari told him as she pulled up his blankets.

Naruto yawned. "Uh-huh. I was worried about you."

"I'm sorry I worried you, but I'm home now so get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow."

The younger blond smiled a tiny smile. "Okay." His eyes closed as his head leaned to one side of the pillow. "I love you." he whispered before falling asleep.

"I love you, too, Naruto." Temari whispered back. She planted a kiss on his forehead before she turned off the lights and left the room.

--

Outside hanging from the roof was the red-haired boy. He saw the whole thing. 'Those words.' he thought to himself.

_I love you, too, Naruto._

_I love you, too, Gaara._

He shook his head a bit. Where did that come from? Was he hearing things now because of this headache? He gave the tiniest of grunts as he walked away from the window. He traveled along the curve of the roof until he came to another window. Peering inside he saw a sink with a clean pile of dishes neatly set to dry. Wrong window.

Turning on his heels he went in search of another frame.

--

Temari felt her body weigh down on her. She was exhausted! It had been such a long day. Her body gave out onto the bed as the blond rubbed her face in the sweet smelling sheets. She was too tired to wash up. She'd do that in the morning after some rest.

As she changed into her house kimono her mind reverted back to that afternoon. That boy that claiming she was his sister. What was his deal? There was no possible way she could be related to him. She grew up with Naruto, her _real_ little brother.

And that creepy red-headed boy. He was the same one she had been seeing in her nightmare and it was freaking her out. She wanted to tell someone but who would believe her? Besides if they did believe her story it would only cause more questions than answers. It was best she keep everything to herself.

Releasing a large yawn, the tired blond crawled into bed. Tomorrow was Naruto's big day and she did not want to miss seeing him off just because she was too sleepy to get out of bed. She turned her head up to look out her window, the stars glowing down at her. With one more yawn she drifted off to sleep.

--

There she was. Sound asleep in her bed. She could not do anymore harm to the boy in this state. Gaara observed her from the window, trying to convince himself she wasn't who he thought she was.

How could Kankuro believe this was their fallen sibling? So maybe she had the same hairstyle and the same name, but that didn't mean anything. They probably just happened to be coincidences, that's all.

Gaara still wasn't fully convinced. He could sense her body starting to grow tense as she seemed uncomfortable. Was she having a nightmare or something? Gaara was having a bit of a hard time telling.

Suddenly she shot up from her slumber, her eyes wide open. He watched as she put a hand on her chest to settle her breathing but it didn't seem to be working. She wiped what looked like sweat from her forehead with her arm and ever so slowly turned her head towards the window, to see him.

--

Temari felt as though her voice was caught in her throat. That boy from her nightmares. The one that had been taunting her in her sleep, right there at her window. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Her body seemed to be frozen as the two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

Suddenly, small grains that looked like sand started to crowd around her window as well. Slowly, the window slid open all by itself with the help of the small solids. Temari blinked once and the young boy seemed to disappear from his place. With what little strength she could muster she turned her head to see him in front of her.

Him. Crouched down on her bed so they both were at eye level.

Nothing was said as nothing was heard between the two. They stared at each other as if they were in a contest. The boy seemed to have turned into a statue, it looking as if he wasn't breathing and Temari quietly trembling. Suddenly, one spoke.

"...You're Temari...aren't you?" the boy asked, his voice showing no emotion.

The blond didn't know what to say. Should she tell him yes or no? But they already met that afternoon.

Thinking she was going to keep to herself, not matter what this boy did, quickly changed. What if this was a sign? Maybe, in all its freaked out ways, this boy was a key to helping her settle down and find answers to her nightmares. Maybe he knew what was happening.

But how could that be? He was the one centered in all her nightmares.

Making up her mind she slowly nodded her head. She could feel the tiny grains of sand travel around her fingers, hands and wrists.

The boy asked a second question. "...And you're from the leaf...?"

Temari nodded to that question, too, though she didn't really know herself. She was found in the forest outside the village at a young age with Naruto. They were both sent to the orphanage, but were never adopted. So they grew up alone and here they were now.

She stared into the eyes of her intruder. She felt something strange, like someone was calling for her. Deeper and deeper she looked. Was it someone crying?

Then she saw it. A little, tattoo-less, red-headed boy in front of her, weeping. He wiped his wet eyes though more tears came. She heard him whimper. "...Temari...why did you die..why did you leave me all alone..."

Temari felt her heart pain as she watched. So she did what she felt was right. Reaching out she wrapped her arms around the boy and pulled him close to her chest into a tight hug.

"No more tears little one."she said. "It's all right. I'm here. Don't cry anymore." As she held him she felt as if she had done it before. She felt like they had a...connection. "Don't cry...Gaara."

The red-head didn't know what was going on with this girl. One minute she was in front oh him, the next she was hugging him. And he wasn't crying. What was she talking about? But what did she call him? ...Gaara...His name. And his sand. It didn't let anyone touch him. No one except...his older sister.

Temari pulled him away to look and see if the tears stopped, but all she saw was the boy who entered her room. Her mind jumped. Was this the same boy? Was that sad boy really the same one in front of here? Were they both...Gaara?

Gaara looked up at her with his emerald eyes. "Temari.." he started. "It _is_ you."


	12. Chapter 12

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter twelve**

"You...know...me?"

The red-head responded, "Yes I do. I know you well, my sister."

_Sister?_

"One more time?" Temari asked. "Sister? How can that be? Naruto, he is-"

"Temari!" Gaara interrupted in his hasty voice. "That boy isn't who you think he is. He's not your sibling."

The blond gave him a questioned look. What was this boy getting to? "You say he's not my brother," she started trying to keep her tone calm, "But how can you be mine?"

"...There were many coincidences that I chose to ignore in our encounter earlier today, but now I see that they weren't what I thought they were..."

"What do you mean by 'coincidences'?" Temari wondered. Was there something she didn't know about?

"Back long ago when I was still a child, I had an older sister who I thought passed away." the boy started to explain as he looked out the open window. "Her hair was yellow and she kept it in four ponytails, just like yours...she had the same green eyes..."

'Okay, so we had the same hair style and eye color.' Temari thought. 'How does that match me up with his deceased sister?'

"...You resemble her so much...as if you were her twin..." he continued. "...Her name was the same as yours..."

Naruto's sister leaned a little toward the boy, as if the name of this mysterious female would make all the difference.

"...Temari."

Temari's eyes widened. There was no possible way! "How can that be?!" she asked, her mind scrambled and confused. All those details...they did sound like her!

"Temari...you are my sibling...you..are my sister." Gaara told her as his eyes suddenly locked on her and narrowed.

Those words locked onto Temari's mind as images started to appear over and over before her eyes. Ones of fire and a monster...and endless blood.

"No."

Gaara clenched his fists. "Yes. You belong to me..."

"No...it's not true..."

"You can't deny it...We are from the same blood.."

"Stop it..."

"We are kin..."

"STOP!!"

Temari's door bust open, Naruto in the entrance with a kunai in hand. "Nee-chan!!" he called sleepily as he scanned the room. "I heard you yelling. What's wrong?"

The older sibling only blinked, removing her hands that had moved to cover her ears. No one was on her bed except her. She glanced out the window to see it open, her curtains swaying from the light breeze.

"Temari?" His sister slightly jumped, him moving beside her bed. "Is everything okay? You don't look so well."

"Yeah. I'm okay. Just had a bad dream. That's all." Temari told him as she took a deep breath.

Naruto wasn't buying it. He climbed into her bed, putting the kunai in reach on her bedside table. "Maybe I should stay with you tonight. Just to be safe."

"Naruto, really. I'm fin-" Temari didn't have enough time to finish her sentence since Naruto had already fallen asleep in her bed. Pulling up the covers over her brother, the female kept her eyes on the open window.

--

Gaara headed back to the hotel roof.

Temari. That was his sister. He knew she was. And she was going to return home with them after these exams were over, even if he had to take her by force.

--

The next morning, Naruto met his cell on one of the village's many bridges as they waited for their sensei. To be honest, Naruto didn't really want to show up this morning. He wanted to stay home and make sure his sister was in bed, where she needed to be.

When he awoke earlier that morning he found Temari looking extremely tired. She looked as if she didn't sleep at all that night. She was beginning to make him worry more.

He sent her off to bed, but he knew better than anyone that once he left the apartment to meet his squad she would just jump right out of bed and start her day. She was such a workaholic.

While Naruto's mind was deep in thought, the young Uchiha was as well. He had been thinking about his walk with a certain female, but more importantly, those spooks who gave her a scare yesterday afternoon. There was something about them that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, but he just couldn't place it. But he knew for sure if any of them put at least a finger on her, he would be there to set them straight.

Sakura, on the other hand, was a little surprised at the quiet atmosphere. Normally in the mornings, she would be yelling at Naruto, who was yelling at Sasuke, who would reply back with a smart remark to both of them. But this time, it was so...peaceful. The kunoichi couldn't help but think there was something else on their minds.

"Morning guys."

All three heads turned above to see their teacher perched on a pipe above. There were small mumbles of a response making the Jônin raise a visible eyebrow. Naruto and Sakura didn't give him the everyday lecture about showing up late. And he already had his excuse all thought out...

"Okay...Anyway," Kakashi started. "This may surprise you but I've recommended all three of you for the upcoming Chuunin Exam."

Silence

"Good one Kakashi." Sakura told him

"Yeah." Naruto agreed. "You almost had us."

Kakashi sweat dropped as he pulled three forms out from his vest. What was going on with these guys today?

"You have to fill out these." he told them as he handed one to each person.

"So you weren't joking." Sasuke remarked as he looked over his form.

"This form is completely voluntary. You don't have to compete is you don't want to. The choice is yours." Kakashi informed his students. "If you do, report to room 301 at the academy by four tomorrow afternoon. That's all."

With a puff of smoke he was gone.

--

Temari let yet another yawn escape before she took another sip of her third cup of tea that morning. She rubbed her eyes before finishing some paperwork she was helping the Hokage fill out.

Man, she was tired. She didn't get any sleep last night. That boy, Gaara, was the only thing on her mind. His words repeating over and over in her head.

"_Yes. You belong to me_..._"_

"_We are from the same blood_..._"_

"_We are kin_..._"_

She wanted to believe deep down that what he said wasn't true. He was just saying that to get het to come along. But, for some reason, she felt like he was telling the truth. That they were related. That they were really...siblings.

"...Jii?"

The Hokage looked up from his desk flooded of paperwork. "Yes, Temari?"

"Can you tell me...how I ended up here?" Temari asked. "In the village, I mean. All I remember is waking in the middle of the forest...with Naruto beside me."

The Hokage let out a sigh. He knew this day would come. When his little Temari wanted to know of her past. But thinking on it now, she wasn't so little anymore. "Well..." he started, putting down his ink brush. "One day there was a report of an attack in the forest. ANBU were sent out to investigate and found that a pair of travelers, a man and a woman, were killed. Their cart was smashed, so the ANBU went out to look for clues."

"And that's when we were found." the blond finished for him.

"Well yes. You were unconscious with your brother watching over you. You two were taken here, for a DNA test to see if you were the traveler's children...but you weren't." He sighed again, leaving out a certain part about Naruto.

"So...our real parents could be out there...somewhere..." Temari asked, a little disappointed.

"Temari..child...there's something you need to know about you and Naruto..." the Hokage dragged out. He was unsure if he should tell her the truth. The truth that he kept from them for so long.

Giving her grandfather a questioned look, Temari was a little worried about what the Hokage was getting ready to tell her. He seemed like he was trying to hold it back, but wanted to tell her anyway.

In the deep part of her mind, Temari sort of already knew what to expect. She had been putting the pieces together that past night, and if what she was about to be told was true, then that would just settle everything on the matter.

Taking another breath, the old man started. "Temari...You and Naruto...You two...aren't really-"

At that moment, the conversation was interrupted by a Jônin as he rushed in the door. "Lord Hokage! You're late for a meeting!"

"Oh, yes." Temari remembered as she pointed a finger in the air. "You were suppose to leave ten minutes ago to get ready, Jii."

"But Temari-" The poor Hokage didn't get to finish as he was pulled from his desk and out the door, all the meeting's paperwork dropped into his hands.

"Don't worry, we can finish talking later." the blond assured him as she closed the door to his office as the Jônin escorted him to the meeting room.

Behind the closed door, Temari already knew what was going to be said to her. She knew what was coming, but she still felt as if a part of her had died inside.

--

A young bowl haircut genin raced past villagers of the hidden leaf. He was to meet his team at the training ground that morning and he didn't want to be late. Rumor had it that rookies were going to be let to take the chuunin exams this year. That would be a first since none had competed the last five years. And they had been trained by Kakashi himself!

He ran past one of Konoha's largest ponds. He stole a glance at it only to stop when he saw someone sitting on the edge of the dock. He cocked his head to the side as his eyes made out four ponytails held back in blond hair.

That's right! She must be that girl he ran into the other day. What was her name?...Temari?

He ran down a small hill to meet her. A quick stop wasn't going to hurt anyone.

"Hey! Youthful Miss Temari!!" he called to her.

The blond turned her head, glancing over her shoulder. A boy in green spandex? Who was that? She thought for a moment before it came back to her. He was that boy that helped her gather her papers that other day.

"Lee." she greeted with a small fake smile as he approached her. "Good morning. How are you?"

Lee grinned. "As youthful as I can ever be in the morning!" he stated as he banged a fist on his chest. "How is your morning, Miss?"

"Fine." Temari lied as she struggled to keep up her smile.

Lee eyed her face, telling him she wasn't as well as she said she was. She looked like she was missing some sleep and had been crying. Was something troubling her?

"I do not mean to be out of place." he started, "But is there something troubling you?"

"What?" Temari asked as he sat down beside her swinging his legs over the edge of the dock. "What makes you ask that?"

"Well...You look as though you haven't slept often. And it appears as though you have been...crying."

The girl tensed a little. Was she that easy to read? "No..no.."she told him as she looked away. "...Nothing's wrong...nothing at all..."

Putting his arm around her, Lee told her, "You might not be aware of this, but if you are in need of someone to talk to, I am here to listen."

Temari bit her bottom lip to try to stop her tears from coming out, but failed. "Oh, Lee!" she sobbed. "I've just found out something horrible! Just horrible!"

"There, there now. Everything will be all right." Lee assured the weeping blond.

""How can it?" Temari asked turning to him. "I might end up losing everything I care about! Nothing will be the same anymore!!"

"Well." he started while looking Temari in the eyes, "Though you may lose some things, you won't lose everything. If everything will not be the same like you say, then it only leaves room for change. You can improve what needed to be before and make it stronger."

He gave her a smile with a thumbs up. "Problems help us to overcome obstacles and stay youthful! You can overcome anything!"

The female allowed those words to sink in her mind. "Lee!" Temari bawled as she clung to his green suit of spandex. "Thank you."

--

Naruto had been all over the place all day. He was here, then he was there. He was always on the move.

When he had got home, he found his theory was right. His sister did indeed leave the house. He asked everyone he could think if they knew where she could be. The Hokage told him she left earlier, and Konohamaru hadn't seen her either. He even took the time to ask Sasuke if he knew.

Naruto was really surprised when said Uchiha asked if he needed help with his sister search. He never knew Sasuke cared.

It was getting close to the day's sunset when Naruto decided to check back home again. If Temari didn't come meet him and his teammates after practice, she would surely be making her way home or was already there making dinner. But if she wasn't, he would go right out to search for her again. He wasn't about to lose her for a second time.

Upon reaching the apartment, Naruto found the door unlocked. She was already home!

"Nee-chan!!" he cried as he rushed on. The living room lights were dimmed as a shadow was placed on the couch. "Temari?" Naruto called out again. "That you?"

The figure stood and walked into the faded light source. It was indeed Temari. Naruto's eyes trailed over his older sister's face, a little confused. She looked like she had been upset, and yet seemed calm and pressured. What was going on with her lately?

"Naruto..." she started. "Please sit down. We need to talk." Her little brother slowly approached the couch to sit as she took a seat next to him. She took several breaths before she continued. "I talked to Jii today."

"Okay. So did he say something to you? Something important?" Naruto asked. If that old man had said something to upset Temari, he wasn't going to forgive him.

"Yes, important. Very important." She placed her hand on the younger blonds, hers being slightly smaller by a few centimeters despite her age. "Naruto...Little brother...I am not...we are not...really related..."

Naruto felt his heart stop. Not related. Was that possible? All those years together...what were they then?

"W-What?" he asked, not believing what was just said to him.

"I am not your sister. You are not my brother." Temari told him grimly. "We were never-"

"Stop it."

Temari looked down at her hand to see both of Naruto's on top of hers. He squeezed them.

"I don't ever want you to say that again."

"Naruto..." Temari tried. "You have to understand-"

"No!" Naruto interrupted again. "_You _have to understand, Temari! So what if we're not related, that doesn't change a thing. Not a thing!"

"Naruto," Temari attempted again only to be wrapped in a huge bear hug.

"It doesn't matter if we're blood or not, Nee-chan." Naruto said quietly in her ear. "I'm still your little brother and you're still the best older sister anyone could ask for."

The older blond felt her eyes water. All day she worried that Naruto might reject her, leave her forever, but she should have known better. Naruto would never do that. Not to anyone. The bond they so deeply shared couldn't be broken by a matter as small as blood, and this proved it.

"Naruto... I love you so much..." Temari wept.

"I love you so much, too, Temari." Naruto told her, his cheeks knowingly wet to him.

Was this what was bugging Temari all this time? Her fear of telling him the truth? Naruto couldn't help but feel relieved. If it was, then it was all over now. She didn't have to worry about anything anymore. He was with her, they were together, and that wasn't ever going to change.

That night, the two slept next to each other on the couch. For the first time in days, Temari had gotten a good nights sleep.

--

Naruto arrived at the Ninja Academy to meet his team the next morning for the exam. He had got up that morning feeling good. He got a shower in and Temari had made a big breakfast just for the occasion. Best of all, she looked a lot better than she did the day before. She looked more rested and healthy which made Naruto feel so much better about leaving her for another day. She just smiled and told him good luck and to wish Sasuke and Sakura luck, too. They were in it as a team anyway. This exam was going to be a piece of cake.

--

Temari arrived at the Hokage Tower only moments after Naruto left the apartment. She was feeling better and was in a pleasant mood. She greeted the Hokage with a forehead kiss.

"Good morning, Jii." she said warmingly, leaving her grandfather with a dumbfounded expression. "Oh Jii, you can't start working with your looking face like that."

"Temari, child, are you alright?" he asked his oldest grandchild.

"Just fine. Why?"

The Hokage's expression relaxed as he smiled. "It's nothing, my dear. Nothing at all."

"Well," Temari began as she poured herself a cup of morning tea. "The chuunin exams start today. Naruto's in it with his team." She took a sip. "Do you think they'll be alright?

"Of course. They've made the most progress out of all the starting rookie teams." the Hokage replied. "There's nothing to worry about."

"But, Jii, Gai-sensei said it was a harsh unforgiving test. Are you sure they're ready?"

"Temari, I didn't know you knew Gai."

The blond took another sip. "I don't."

The Hokage plucked at his white beard. "How do you know what he said at the meeting? Were you there?"

"No." She held up some papers. "I read the Meeting Summary Report you left on your desk. Hope you don't mind. I just needed to know what I missed."

The Hokage sweat dropped. "I don't mind at all, dear. But you really have nothing to worry about. Naruto and the others will be fine."

"Jii, the second half deals with the Forest of Death. How can I not worry?" She took another sip from the cup. "I've never taken the exam before, so I don't know what's out there for Naruto and the others."

The Hokage looked at his granddaughter. "I know, but you couldn't help it. Your instructor wouldn't allow it, remember? It's not your fault."

"I do miss him." Temari said quietly.

"And Naruto will be fine. I have one of my finest jonin the head of the second exam." the Hokage finished. "You can meet her before the second exam starts, if it makes you feel better."

Temari poured herself another cup of tea. "Okay, Jii. If you say so."

--

There seemed to be more to these exams than what was being let on, and Temari could feel it. She had gotten a bad feeling about it after Naruto left. She had skimmed through the file office before reporting to her grandfather to find out who was participating in the exam, and to her surprise she found many ninja who where non-leaf.

Was it wise to have all these different nin in the village at one time? If the Hokage allowed it then it must be for a good reason. So many villages... Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki and even that new village Oto. No one knew much about the village hidden in the sound, but Temari was getting a stronger feeling about it. She glanced at Suna's teams.

A quick image of Gaara flashed in her mind. She was gonna have to have a talk with that team later...


	13. Chapter 13

Wind and Leaves

**Chapter thirteen**

"Sensei!!"

"Lee!!"

Cell seven watched in disgust as Sasuke's green spandex wearing, bushy-browed competitor, who called himself Rock Lee, hugged someone who seemed to be his identical twin. Or teacher. An awkward sun was setting in the background making the three genin sweat-drop.

Nauto was speechless while Sakura only made gaging noises.

'I can't believe I lost to some touchy-feeling crybaby.' Sasuke thought. He was aggravated.

"It's all right, Lee!!" his sensei said as he tightened his hug. "I understand because you're young and youthful!"

"Sensei!!" Lee said again.

"Doesn't it give you a warm fuzzy feeling?" Naruto asked as he pointed at them.

"Don't be an idiot!" Sakura stated as she flicked the blond's forehead. "They're up to something!"

Lee was released and patted on the shoulder. "Youth and mistakes go hand in hand!" Lee's twin told him.

"Gai-sensei, you're too kind!" Lee replied as he wiped his nose.

"But," Gai started, "I can't let your mistake to break the big rule go unpunished. Your penalty will be to sweat after the Chuunin Exams!"

Lee saluted. "I understand!"

Gai shot a fist into the air. "Five hundred laps around the practice arena!"

"Yes, sir!!"

"What a dip." Sakura commented.

"What's with that turtle, anyway?" Naruto asked as he eyed the reptile that Gai appeared on.

Sasuke said nothing.

Gai focused his attention on Naruto and the others. 'Unless I missed my guess...' he thought. 'Those children are Kakashi's.'

"By the way, how is Kakashi?" Gai asked cell seven. "I'm asking you."

"You know Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

Gai smirked. "Do I know him?"

Sasuke stared hard at Gai, only to see him disappear before his eyes.

'Huh?' he wondered.

"I should say so! We're arch rivals!" Gai finished, right behind the team.

Sasuke glanced back, shocked the man could move so quickly. Naruto fidgeted.

"The score is fifty to forty-nine."Gai smiled with his thumb up, his teeth gleaming. "I'm stronger than he is."

'He's so fast!' Sasuke thought. 'His speed is much greater than Kakashi's. Is he even human?'

"As you can see, Gai-sensei is totally amazing!" Lee stated.

"I know Lee started this fight," Lee's double started as Sasuke only sighed, "But take pity on his old teacher, for the sake of my own self respect, forgive him."

'Who is this guy?' Sasuke wondered. 'He claims to be better than Kakashi, and he might not be bluffing!'

"You and Lee should head up to the classroom now." Gai told them as he threw a kunai, knocking the weapon from the wall that had pierced through Lee's bandages, stopping him from finishing his earlier move.

Naruto watched the material fall to the ground and trailed it to Lee's hand that was bruised and cut, before he started wrapping it around his hand.

"Best of luck, Lee!" Gai said as he disappeared. "Later!"

"Yes, sir!" Lee saluted again. He eyed the Uchiha. "By the way, Sasuke, I was blowing smoke before. I am really here to prove my strength in combat."

He finished re-wrapping his bandages. "And I do not think you are the strongest Konoha genin. The strongest junior ninja is a member of my team and I intend to take him down as well. That is why I am entering."

"You are on my list, too, Sasuke." He leaped into the air. "I am off to apply for the exam. Be ready for it!" With that said he left to rejoin his team.

Sasuke only ground his teeth and balled his hand into a fist.

"Sasuke..." Sakura said worryingly.

"What was that crap?" Naruto asked, his hands behind his head. He turned to Sakura. "Maybe your famous hotshot Uchiha clan isn't that great after all, huh?"

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

"...Shut up..." Sasuke told him. "Next time, that guy's dead meat."

"Despite the total butt-kicking you got this time, right?" Naruto added.

"Shut up, Naruto." yelled Sakura..

Naruto looked at his male teammate. "You saw his hands, right?" He remembered the bruises and cuts. "Old bushy-brows probably gets some kind of super-duper, extra-special training, day after day. Even more than you got. You're toast."

The Uchiha looked away, those words not what he needed to hear. He un-balled his hands only to ball them up again with a smirk.

"Interesting." he said. "Things are starting to get interesting. This Chuunin Exam is going to bring things to a boil."

His teammates gladly agreed.

"Naruto? Saukra? Let's go!"

---

"So, you're saying this Forest of Death...it's safe, right?" Temari asked.

"Well, if you mean filled with killer animals and teams fighting each other, possibly to the death as safe, then yeah. This part of the exam is _extremely_ safe." replied Anko, the head of the second half of the exam.

Temari felt very uneasy. How could Jii say Naruto was gonna be fine? He could be killed!

Then again, Naruto and been improving in his training the past few weeks. He could make it. He was a strong individual. And he had Sasuke and Sakura with him. They were a team, who had each other's backs. They could make it. They_ would _make it.

The blond smiled a little to herself. She had to think positive. Thinking negatively wouldn't get anyone anywhere.

"Hey" Anko started. "Haven't I seen you around the Hokage's office?"

"Maybe." she replied as she fiddled with her kimono sleeve. "I work there."

Anko narrowed her eyes. "Then what are you doing here? On an assignment?"

"Oh, no no! Just here to educate myself about the exams, that's all." Temari lied. She didn't want Anko to know how worried she was about the exam.

"Well, then, stick around as long as you like!" The instructor replied, making Temari relax a little. "Come on, let me show you around."

Temari was led out of a small building located around the high fences of the Forest of Death. On the outside, it just looked like someone's overgrown yard, but the blond didn't want to stick around to see what was on the inside. They began to walk around the perimeter.

"The Forest of Death," Anko began as she noticed Temari scanning the gates. "Also known as Training Ground 44, has forty-four gates bordered in a circular pattern. Inside is filled with trees, a river and a tower in the center where the participants must reach in the time limit."

The blond looked at her. "A time limit?"

"Yes. They have one hundred-twenty hours to complete this part of the exam." Anko answered.

"Well, if they have that much time, what's their objective inside?" Temari asked.

The instructor reached behind her and pulled two scrolls from her sack. "Each team must have one of each of these scrolls and report to the tower. Each team is provided with one of these and must defeat other teams to acquire the other."

Temari took a strong look at the scrolls, one reading the character 'earth' while the other read 'heaven'. "What happens if they don't make it within the time limit?"

Anko gave her a smile. "They're disqualified." Above, a black raven quickly flew overhead. Both women watched as it flew away. "Well, Temari, it seems my half of the exam is about to start."

Temari nodded. "I understand. Shall I take my leave?" she asked.

Anko waved a hand. "No. Just stay out of sight from the victims-I mean, participants while I get them ready. Afterwards we can have some lunch, okay?"

---

Temari observed the students from atop a high tree. She suppressed her presence to be sure she wouldn't be noticed or seen.

'Wow.' she thought as she counted the teams that passed the first exam. 'I didn't know so many would make it.'

Her emerald eyes trailed over everyone's small heads. She quickly spotted her brother with his team and released a sigh. They had made it through the first test. Glancing over to another side, the blond also eyed Gaara and his team.

Her mind began to play small flashes of events. What looked like faded black and white colored photographs were shown in her eyes. A fire. A city. Chaos.

Temari blinked it away as she shook her head. She had to focus on this.

She watched Anko swing her arms around in an interesting manner. 'Explaining the rules, I guess.' she thought as she recalled what was told to her only a few moments ago.

The groups began to line up, each taking turns to enter the small building Temari was in with Anko. They, then, were guided to a separate gate around the fence.

Temari took a deep breathe as she watched Naruto and his team leave the little hut. 'And so it begins...'

---

"What have you done with Naruto?!" Sasuke asked angrily after harshly punching his teammate.

Naruto wiped off a small smear of blood on his chin. "I'm right here! Hello!!"

The Uchiha took a fighting stance. "Your shuriken are on your left thigh, but Naruto's right handed. Not to mention you forgot the scar from that crazy proctor gave him before the exam. You're worse at disguises than the real Naruto."

There was a poof of smoke around the fake Naruto, revealing a ninja wearing what looked like a gas mask with a blindfold with slits over his eyes. His hiate-te held four vertical lines in the center.

"Because you forced me to come clean, why don't you do the same? Which one of you has the scroll?!" The enemy demanded.

Sakura took her position with Sasuke, that being the only reply they would give.

"Unfortunately you've forced me to be direct!"

He started toward them, Sasuke hurling himself into the air. He conjured some hand signs as he took aim at the intruder below. "Fire Style! Phoenix Flower Jutsu!!"

Flames spued from Sasuke's mouth and onto the ground below. The enemy swiftly avoided the dancing fires as he jumped onto a tree branch. The Uchiha followed him, finding Naruto tied up somewhere nearby.

'That idiot.' he thought to himself as he threw a kunai down towards his comrade, freeing him.

Their masked enemy turned around to throw some kunai. "You left an opening! Lucky me!"

Sasuke took hold of a thick tree branch and swung back to protect himself from the projectiles. His eyes widened as he eyed a small slip of paper attached to a kunai. 'A paper bomb!' The branch suddenly blew to smithereens, Sasuke letting go in time to land on the ground on all fours.

"Better and better. One false move and I'll kill you." The enemy told Sasuke as he appeared right behind him. "Now hand over the scroll!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled.

The raven haired boy only smirked. A kunai came whizzing toward the enemy, causing him to jump out of the way.

"Your not getting away that easy!" Naruto yelled.

'Late as usual.' Sasuke caught the dodged kunai with the bottom of his footwear. 'Chakra energy will hold this to the sole of my shoe.' He pivoted on his opposite foot, using his hands for balance, and re-threw the weapon at the retreating enemy. No sooner did he launch himself in the air as well.

The opponent flexed his body out of the way of the projectile only to have Sasuke grab it and stabbed him in the shoulder.

"He gave me no choice! Now move!" The Uchiha yelled to his pink hair teammate. "We don't know where his friends are!"

Sakura just kept watching him, not moving. "Sasuke..."

"You got that? Keep standing there and you'll end up dead! Now go!" He pulled himself away from the enemy, the kunai in hand.

'My arm!' The opponent thought. 'This is awful! I thought coming here alone would help conceal my presence..instead, it's been ruined!' Quickly he retreated away as Sasuke landed back on the ground.

All three let out a relieved sigh. "Guys, get over here." Sasuke ordered. Sakura and Naruto walked over and sat in a small triangular circle with Sasuke. "Listen, if we get separated again we can't just trust each other blindly. It could end up the way this did."

"But then what can we do?" Sakura asked.

"The safest thing for us to have is a password. That way we'll know whose the imposter. No matter what they look like or how they sound, if they get the password wrong they're the enemy."

Naruto and Sakura nodded. "Okay, listen carefully. I'll only say it once. It's a poem called Ninki- Ninja Opportunity. When I ask for it, here's what you respond..."

Down, way below the team was an unsuspected visitor who was carefully listening to every word of the conversation.

"We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate." Sasuke finished.

Naruto made a face as the unnoticed the visitor slipped away."And you expect me to remember that, How?!" he questioned.

"You're such a dunce, Naruto. I've already got it down!" Sakura scoffed.

Naruto ignored her. "How about a better password! Like swordfish?"

"I'll take the scroll." Sasuke told his team, paying the blond's last statement no mind.

Suddenly, something cut Naruto's left cheek. He started to rub his mini wound as he looked around. "What the..?"

Out of nowhere a wave of weapons rained down on the trio. "A new enemy?! Everyone take cover!" Sasuke instructed.

There was a loud explosion as the three split up. As everything died down, Sasuke quickly scanned the area from his spot under a shrub.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called out to him.

The Uchiha held up a kunai. "Stay back! Don't come near! What's the password? Tell me the Ninki."

"Right." Sakura agreed. "We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate."

"Good." Sasuke told her as Naruto wondered into view.

"Hey, are you guys all right?" he asked.

"Not so fast, Naruto! What's the password?"

Naruto grinned. "Right, Ninki. We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief as Sasuke smirked. He threw his weapon at Naruto who just barely dodged.

"Sasuke! What are you doing?!" Sakura asked, confused. "Naruto got the password right!"

"And this time he's good enough to dodge my attack." Sasuke told her.

The Naruto imposter only smirked. "Well done!" There was a huge puff of smoke, revealing a tall figure wearing a rope like obi and a straw hat. On his forehead, his hiate-te was decorated with a horizontal zigzag. "What gave me away?"

"I knew you were underground, eavesdropping on everything we said. That's why I chose that kind of password. The kind the real Naruto would never manage to memorize." The Uchiha answered, ready for another fight.

"I see." Their new enemy responded. "This is going to be more fun than I thought."

---

"Oh...Oww..."

Naruto slowly came to his senses. He sat himself up as he looked around the new area the explosion had blasted him to.

"Where'd everybody go? Sakura? Sasuke?"

From nowhere a oversized shadow started towards the blond forcing him to look up. His eyes widened at the sight of the creature that was coming toward him.

"...That snake.....It's...HUGE!"

The snake slid closer to Naruto as he stepped back. Quickly, the creature struck with its head, Naruto dodging only to be caught by its tail. Rearing its front back up, the snake opened it's mouth wide and swallowed the boy in one gulp.

"That STUPID snake!! It ATE ME!!" Naruto yelled, fuming.

---

"That was a phoney Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed. She thought for a moment. 'That's right. If it had been the real Naruto he'd say something like, 'What's that stupid password again?' or along those lines.' Sasuke gave a small grunt as their Naruto imposter smirked. 'This guy gives me the creeps. Where the heck is Naruto?'

Reaching into his obi, their new opponent pulled out an earth scroll. "I suppose you'd like to steal our earth scroll, wouldn't you?" he asked as he licked his lips with his longer than average tongue. "Since I know you've already got a heaven scroll."

Bringing the scroll up to his mouth, his tongue wrapped itself around it. It pulled the scroll down his throat, his hand giving some support. The small cell seven watched in horror and amazement. He gulped and licked his lips again. "Now, shall we see just who will be stealing scrolls from whom? We'll fight to the death!"

Both Sasuke and Sakura had no time to react as they were quickly attacked. From all sides they were hit, cut and shredded. Their blood was shed everywhere, them weak and helpless. A final kunai was thrown at their foreheads, cancelling out all that had just happened.

'He's casting an illusion!' Sasuke figured as he tried to move. A sharp pain was shot into his stomach as he vomited. 'It's not death, just an incredible simulation! I looked into his eyes and he made me feel it...Believe it! Who the heck is he?!'

He gathered enough strength to turn his head over to Sakura. "Sakura.." he started only to stop. Next to him, his pink haired teammate was _petrified_. Her body shook in place as tears poured from her unblinking eyes continuously. 'Crud! If we don't retreat now, them we're finished! The only other way out is death!'

Their long tongued enemy smirked once more. "Heh. I imagine you're paralyzed by now."

Sasuke's hand reached his weapons pouch. 'Not quite. I can move just enough!'

Though interested by what the boy was about to do, their opponent said nothing. Instead he quickly flung two kunai towards them, each gaining speed as they got closer. Sasuke activated his sharingan and was able to move him and Sakura out of the way before being struck by the weapons. The kunai's hit a nearby branch.

Somewhere close by in the treetops, Sasuke painted heavily. Grabbing hold of the handle, he removed his kunai that he stabbed himself with. Sakura watched horrified, not sure about what she should do.

'Amazing!' The enemy pondered. 'The boy stabbed himself so that he would be able to focus on the pain and block out fear and illusion! Just as I thought! There is far more to this one than the common prey!'

---

Slizering along in the forest, a giant snake stopped to nap as shouts and yells could be heard from its stomach on the inside.

"Hey! Hey you out there!" Naruto continued to yell. "You better spit me out while you have the chance!!"

'Rats!' he thought, finally giving up on yelling. 'I gotta get out of here before I get myself digested. But how do I get this thing to barf?' His mind scanned itself for ideas as he remembered back to being to the bridge. Him and Sasuke had eaten so much that they puked. 'That's it!'

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!!"

The snake felt its body expand, further and further than it should. It's underside continued even after the limit was reached. Then, the creature burst open, thousands upon thousands of Naruto's jumping out to freedom as blood covered their bodies.

"I'm a shinobi who'll become Hokage. So don't mess with me." he told the bleeding corpse. "I got better things to do then get digested. Now to find Sakura and Sasuke!"

---

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried. "Speak to me, Sas-"

Her plea was cut short when said Uchiha covered her mouth with his hand. 'We've got to move fast, or he'll find us again!' he thought. 'The question is how to evade him...Or how do we run?'

Sakura watched as her heart-throb teammate focused on what their next move would be. 'I've never seen him like this.' she thought to herself. 'He's so jumpy...' Her eyes decided to scan the area, catching something. She tried to speak only to remember that Sasuke was silencing her.

"Sasuke!" she called as she removed his hand. "Snake!!"

The creature hissed before it attacked, giving the two and opportunity to move out of the way. 'Whoa...My mind isn't on target! I overlooked a giant snake!' Sasuke thought as he tried to reach another branch. The snake whipped around and followed him, trying to swallow him whole.

The Uchiha started to panic. "Get away!" he yelled as he threw shuriken and kunai at the monster, cutting its face to shreds and pinning it to a nearby tree.

Sasuke observed the snake as he caught his breath. Sakura let out a small sigh on another tree branch. They stayed on guard when they noticed the snake's skin starting to shred and rip apart.

"For shame on letting your guard down. Stay on your toes, like a good prey should." Their opponent emerged from the body of death and gook as he seemed to be chuckling. "It makes the chase so much more rewarding..." He looked dead at Sasuke, death written on his face as he let his long tongue hang. "...For the predator!"

Faster than one could think, he began to swirl and slither up the tree trunk to Sasuke. Not far for the start, he was stopped by a few dozen of shuriken and kunai.

Sasuke turned his attention away to see his missing blond teammate. "Sorry Sasuke." Naruto started. "I can't remember that stupid password."

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled with delight. "That was awesome!"

"Naruto to the rescue, huh?" Sasuke asked. "You're completely psyched about saving the day, but now would be a good time to run for your life! This guy is way out of our league!"

The enemy only fiddled with pieces of bark and lounged on the branch. "My compliments on your stunning defeat of the giant snake...Naruto."

'That guy's a freak!' Naruto told himself. 'He's a man but all I can see when I look at him is a snake. Everything about him....' He gave a pause. 'That snake! I'll bet that it was his!'

'Man! Every time I try to rescue us, Naruto always makes things worse.' Sasuke thought. 'But there has to be some way to-'

"Hey!" the blond yelled, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Or something like that?"

'I've got to stop this before he gets us all killed!' Sasuke activated his sharingan, only to stop just as quickly as he began.

'The sharingan?' Sakura wondered. 'But he stopped.'

"If it's our scroll you want, come and get it!" Sasuke called out as he removed the scroll from the safety of his bag. "Just take it and go!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto called angrily. "What the heck do you think you're doing?! Is this some clever way of beating the enemy? By handing over everything we got?!"

"Well done." Their snake like opponent complimented as he sat up on the branch. "You're obviously natural born prey, instinctively knowing that your only hope lies in the chance of the predator being distracted by some tastier bait."

Throwing the scroll. The Uchiha yelled, "Come and get it."

Naruto let out a gasp as he watched the scroll fly and jumped down, quickly receiving it and landing next to his raven haired comrade.

"Stay out of this!" Sasuke yelled. "You'll ruin everything!"

His only response from Naruto was a hard punch in the face.

'Huh?!' Sakura wondered.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke asked as he back flipped to cover some distance away from Naruto.

"I forgot the stupid password, so I can't prove it," Naruto started, "But this so-called Sasuke is obviously fake!"

"What?!" Sakura gasped.

"Naruto! You idiot! I am me!" Sasuke grinded.

"That's bull!" the blond replied. "And you're the idiot, idiot! You're a coward. Which Sasuke isn't. So you're not him! I'm not so sure we need to be afraid of this guy, and even if we did hand over our scroll there's no guarantee he'd spare us!" Sasuke's eyes widened a bit at the words spoken to him. "So even if you were Sasuke, I'd still be telling you you're an idiot...and maybe a chicken, too!"

A haunting laugh filled the area as attention was turned. "Oh, Naruto! This is rich! And you're right." The man licked his lips. "Why bargain, when I can simply kill you and take the scroll?" He pull up his sleeve to reveal markings on his wrist. Biting his thumb, he ran his blood down the middle of his wrist.

Fury started to rage to the outside as Naruto launched himself at the enemy. "Shut up!"

"Don't do it, Naruto!!" Sasuke cried.

Naruto jumped into the air, kunai in hand, and ready to strike. 'My faith in Sasuke is totally shot!'

There was a large gust of wind as their enemy put his hands together. "Summoning Jutsu!"

The gust cleared, revealing a huge snake, much larger than the ones that cell seven previously fought. Naruto gasped as the snake struck him with its tail, sending him flying through tree trunks.

"Naruto!" Sakura and Sasuke yelled in unison. They watched helplessly as blood flooded out Naruto's mouth as he fell.

"Excellent. But let's not take chances. Eat the boy!" The opponent instructed.

Naruto saw the snake coming towards him and leaned all his body weight straight down. With his fist, he landed a direct punch on the creature's nose. "Eat snot, sucker!!"

'How could that brat possibly..." The man wondered as Naruto fell past. He caught a glimpse of his eyes, that were mysteriously blood red.

Naruto let out a roar as he continued to fall.

'Naruto's completely snapped!' Sakura thought, stunned and surprised. 'Where did he get that kind of power?!'

The opponent held a pose as he brought a hand up to his face and blew out a strong gust of wind, blowing Naruto back against a trunk of a tree.

'Look at those eyes!' Sasuke told himself. 'Is that really Naruto?'

'The fun has only just begun!!' "It's Sasuke's turn next!" the man shouted. "How will he take it?!" The snake quickly came toward Sasuke at full speed.

Sasuke saw it coming, but he didn't move.

"Sasuke!!!" Sakura cried.

The look of death was written on the opponent's face as he closed in on the Uchiha. Everyone's attention was quickly turned when Naruto appeared before the huge beast, sliding and holding him to a stop.

"...Hey, are you okay...?" Naruto asked Sasuke as he huffed and puffed. "...You big chicken?"

---

Back in the village, a minor commotion was being discussed among a few Jonin.

"One, two, three..." the first one counted. "All of them dead as stone buddhas."

"Was it the result of some kind of ninja skill?" Another asked.

The Jonin examining the scene gave out a sigh. "Bad news." he told them. "Starting out with a problem...crud." he began scratching his head, not sure what to say first. "Report this to Lady Anko, who's conducting the second exam!"

"Yes, sir!" the first one replied, heading off to the Forest of Death.

---

Anko let out a satisfied sigh. "Nothing goes better with dango rice dumplings than oshiruku bean soup." She took a hardy bite of her dango.

"Yes." Temari agreed. "It is very good. Thanks again for sharing with me."

"No problem!" Anko replied as she drank her soup. "I always have more than enough for everyone! And as soon as we're done with lunch, we can head over to the tower so I can greet anyone who manages to pass the test."

She finished her dumpling and threw the stick. "The good ones should be done in less than a day."

The stick lodged into a tree, completing a Konoha leaf mark with dozens of other sticks. "A complete tree mark." Anko stated as Temari clapped her hands together in a mini applause. Anko took small bows. "Thank you, thank you. You're too much."

Out of nowhere, the jonin messenger appeared before them. "Terrible news, Lady Anko!"

"Already?" Anko asked as she finished her soup. "What is it?"

"Dead bodies! Three of them, ma'am." the messenger replied.

Temari squinted her eyes. "Dead bodies?" she asked.

"Yes. Dead, and very weird. Please come and see for yourself!"

The two females swapped glances before leaving. 'Weird, how?' Anko thought.

Once united with the other Jonin, a report was given to inform the ladies. "Judging from their belongings and papers we found, they were shinobi from Kusagakure- The Village Hidden in the Grass- and were registered to take part in the Chuunin Exam."

Anko and Temari both scanned the scene as their expressions changed to horrified looks. "As you can see, their features are completely gone. Their faces are so smooth as though they'd been melt off."

'No doubt about it, I recognize that technique!' Anko thought, stunned. 'But why would he meddle in this?'

"Show me the photos from the shinobi's I.D.!" Anko ordered. "At once!"

After being hand what she asked she scanned the pictures. 'So this is the face he stole...But that means he'd already done so when...!!'

"This is awful!" she told them. "You three report what's happened to Lord Hokage! Ask him to deploy two additional Black Ops to the Forest of Death at once! I'm going after the imposters!"

Temari kept staring at the corpses as a shudder ran down her body. 'I knew something wasn't right about this exam. I just knew it!'

She grabbed Anko's wrist before she left. "I'm going with you."


End file.
